The newly-formed 100 Kids for Change Oceanside organization is up and running with its first meeting and first donation of $244 to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association.
The youth-run group, inspired by the local 100 Women and 100 Men charitable groups, meets the second Tuesday of every third month to decide by vote which charity will benefit that quarter.
“I wanted to create this because I knew that there were definitely some kids in the community who are very community-minded and they wanted to give back,” founder Janel van Dongen said. “And I wanted to create a community of those kids who are investing in the future.”
Each member brings a $10-plus donation and charities are nominated ahead of the meeting, according to van Dongen. The first meeting saw 20 members in attendance, who ranged in age from six years old to 17 years old.
“It was seeing the work that 100 Women and 100 Men had done, and it was also seeing that ‘hey, kids can do this too’,” she said. “And we can still bring that positive change because we want to make a difference’.”
Van Dongen was surprised with how quickly the group’s membership grew.
“We launched it about, I’d say a little over a month ago and we already have 133 [Facebook] followers,” she said. “My goal for this year, the entire year, was to get 75, and we got 75 within three weeks which was amazing.”
Van Dongen came up with the idea last August, and said she wanted to foster the idea that no matter one’s age, they can give back to their community. She said she knows how it feels to want to give back, but feel underestimated as a teenager.
READ MORE: Arrowsmith Health Care Society receives $32K from 100 Women Who Care
“You can have a very small amount of people come together but when they come together and they join their efforts, it blossoms into something even bigger, and so I love that,” she said.
100 Kids for Change Oceanside is accepting new members. A membership form is available online on the group’s Facebook page, and a website is in the works as well.
Anyone age 18 years and younger who lives in District 69 is welcome to join, van Dongen said.
“The organization was made for everyone,” she added. “It doesn’t matter who you identify as, what community you are a part of.”
The 100 Kids group has received lots of community support and is thankful to Melissa Tracey, Personal Real Estate Corporation for help with startup costs, Yates Memorial for use of their meeting space, Parks West for use of its big cheque and Loonyrama Plus for free balloons for the first meeting, van Dongen said.
Parksville Qualicum Community Foundation is the group’s biggest sponsor, van Dongen said, and has helped with donation management and setting up a bank account, in addition to assistance with the 100 Kids website through Motiontide Media.
The group was excited to present a cheque in person at North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre in Errington on Feb. 18.
NIWRC admits approximately 800 animals each year, according to its impact report. Its staff and volunteers care for animals with all types of needs including birds with broken wings, electrocuted eagles and orphaned black bear cubs.
NIWRC operates with a small dedicated staff and more than 80 volunteers, according to its website.
