The annual Meaning of Home contest asks students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 to share what home means to them. Grade 5 student Gloria Burey from Englehart is a runner-up, earning a $10,000 grant for Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North.
For the third year in a row, a record number of students shared what home means to them in Habitat for Humanity Canada’s Meaning of Home contest. Over 13,000 students entered, beating last year’s record by more than 1,000 entries and raising over $311,000 for local Habitat for Humanity organizations across Canada.
By sharing what home means to them, students learn about affordable housing issues in their community and raise funds to help build homes for people in need of safe and decent housing. In addition to three grand prize winners who won a $30,000 grant each for a local Habitat, nine runners up have won a $10,000 grant and every student who entered the contest earned a $10 donation for their local Habitat.
“Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North was excited to see students from our communities reflecting on the strength and stability that a home provides. They each contributed in their own way towards Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a safe and to have a decent place to live,” says Kimberley Woodcock, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North. “Gloria’s poem not only beautifully captures the meaning of home to her, but has contributed $10,000 to build futures for two families.”
The Meaning of Home contest would not be possible without the generous support of founding sponsor Sagen, award sponsors Urban Systems Foundation, Chapman’s Ice Cream and Home Trust, and judging sponsors Microban 24, Face to Face Games and Hunter Douglas.
“We could not be more proud that this contest continues to grow year over year,” said Stuart Levings, President and CEO of Sagen. “Children across Canada are provided the unique opportunity to be a part of something so important on a national scale while helping their local community at the same time, all with a short poem or essay.”
To read all the winning entries, incuding Gloria Burey’s entry, visit the Meaning of Home website.
