CVR’s Leadership Group Gathers Sock Donations for the Old Brewery Mission

Local students work together to provide a Montreal non-profit with much needed donations—just in time for winter.

Last year, Chateauguay Valley Regional High School student Emma Krobath interviewed to join the high school’s leadership program. All new members were asked to bring an idea to the interview to convey how they taught they could give back to the community. After doing research online, Krobath thought that donating socks to Montreal’s Old Brewery Mission would be a great way to help the less fortunate. This year, her idea was made a reality. Affectionately dubbed “Socktober”, students began collecting sock donations for the less fortunate on October 15th and will continue to accept donations until November 6th.

Organized by Melanie Beaudin, a teacher and leadership advisor at Ormstown’s CVR, the leadership program is a group that encourages students to give back to both their school and community. The group, which consists of 22 students, will call on the support of their classmates in hopes of collecting a sizeable donation (an in-school competition has been set up between SSR groups). Looking specifically for wool socks and black and white adult sport socks, the students will drop off the donation to the Old Brewery Mission in person—where they will also be serving a hot meal to the less fortunate. Over the past few weeks, the students have plastered the area with flyers to encourage the community to participate in any way they can. Along with collecting socks at last weekend’s Savoury Treasures of the Valley, the students will be present at CVR’s open house on October 22nd. A box for sock donations has also been set up at the high school’s head office. The students of the leadership group are thrilled about the opportunity to give back. According to Grade 11 student Mya Sheaves-Blair, “It's a great way for young people to get a view on other people's lives that are less fortunate.”

Beaudin, who is originally from Ontario, has been teaching at CVR for six years. Previously having volunteered at the Old Brewery Mission serving meals, Beaudin reached out to the non-profit’s Director of Support-Services, Christopher Quinn, who greeted the idea with enthusiasm. “Socks wear out really quickly,” said Chris, when asked why socks were such a need for those that are forced to endure the worst of the hard Montreal winters, which can be fatal for some individuals.

In the words of Grade 11 student Valerie Tsimonidis-Gouge, “Let's keep Montreal's homeless warmer this winter.” One way to help? Be sure to give what you can to your local high school leadership group as they will continue to collect sock donations until the end of the first week of November.