by Bob Groeneveld/Special to the Langley Advance
Moms want to help moms help their kids through the cold weather ahead.
“There are areas that need help,” said Viva Schurch. “I saw posts from other moms saying there were kids showing up to school without proper jackets and boots.”
She was inspired by Jen Wiens, who is helping out in Surrey with inner city schools, Schurch explained.
“I saw a post of Jen’s saying she had been in touch with schools that were in need, and that just got me thinking that definitely that was an area where we can give, and you know, to help each other out as moms, from one mom to another.”
She decided it was something she and other moms at Langley Fundamental Elementary school could do.
“With the weather changing, I knew there would be children in need of warmer clothes,” she said, “children whose parents may have newly immigrated or for other circumstances be stretched thin and not have as much to provide clothes or shoes for their children.”
Their school being located in an area where most kids have “their needs being met,” Schurch thought, “why don’t we collect gently used shoes and coats, etc.”
She connected with Douglas Park Community Elementary, in a part of Langley City where there is a preponderance of single-parent and low-income families, and asked if they would appreciate some help providing warm clothing for kids from less-affluent families.
“They said that was great,” said Schurch, adding, “And they actually have a closet where they put the things for the kids that need.”
“It’s the principals and the teachers who usually hand out those kinds of clothing from a stash that they have at the school,” said Jenifer Wiens, an LFE mom who works at Wagner Hill Farm – a working farm in Glen Valley whose mission is to get down-and-out men back on their feet.
“I approached Jen and asked, if I started a shoe and warm clothes drive, would she be willing to take some to the Surrey schools with children in need and I would deliver to some of the Langley schools,” said Schurch.
For Wiens, Schurch’s plan to help kids in the community was no stretch at all.
“Yeah,” Wiens said, “I work in those circles. When [Schurch] reached out to me, I was like, for sure… I can totally find where the need is.”
Wiens was able to connect with inner city schools in Surrey through City Dream Centre, a Surrey organization with an adopt-a-school program.
“I’ve been able to reach out to a lot of principals at those inner city schools,” said Wiens, “and then we have a lot of moms [at LFE] who are teachers, and they know all the inner city Langley schools who are in need… when a kid comes to school and it’s freezing cold and they don’t have a jacket, or their pants have holes or no socks in their boots and that kind of thing.”
Another mom with kids at the fundamental elementary is also a teacher at Nicomekl Elementary, also a Langley City school with a large number of low-income families in its catchment area. She got on board with Schurch’s jackets and boots drive, and identified the need there.
LFES principal Deah Paton got on board and boxes were set up to begin collecting at school.
“The response was immediate, once word around the school spread,” said Schurch, nothing they were given many gently used warm coats, clothes and shoes.
“We have lots of stuff already,” said Schurch, adding, “Although we won’t be seeking out donations from the Langley community at large, our hopes are that other school communities or people in the community look to offer warm clothes to those in need also – not as a hand out, but a hand up, so that children can focus on school and playing.”
She pointed out that the weather is still changing, and now is a good time for projects like hers, to help kids cope with the impending cold.
While Schurch will be delivering collected items to Douglas Park and Nicomekl, other LFES moms will be supplying needed clothing to a couple of Surrey’s elementaries.
“I’ve always liked helping people,” said Schurch. “I’ve volunteered feeding homeless, I’ve donated my time at beauty night downtown for women in East Vancouver. I’ve always liked to give where I can. But now, as a mother, I have more of a heart for children.”
Conducting the warm clothes and shoe drive has “definitely warmed my heart,” she added.
“Every mom wants to do our best, so it kind of came about like that… It’s just a good will thing, I’d say.”