A group of students at Owen Sound District Secondary School is helping newcomers feel more at home in the community.
As part of a semester-long partnership with the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce Immigrant Services, the school's Leadership class developed a series of projects designed to support people settling in the area, including refugees, international students, economic migrants, and others seeking settlement assistance.
After consulting with students in an English-for-newcomers class, the Grade 11 and 12 students assembled 33 welcome packages containing essential household items, information about local services and attractions, and Owen Sound Transit tickets.
Community organizations and businesses also contributed to the effort. The Owen Sound Attack donated vouchers for newcomers to attend games during the upcoming season, while the Owen Sound Quilters' Guild created dozens of pillowcases for children. Backpacks for the packages were supplied by the United Way of Grey Bruce, with additional support from local realtor Ron Downs and Metro.
Beyond the welcome packages, students also created an interactive online map highlighting important community resources, including multilingual medical services, and produced short videos showcasing local destinations such as Harrison Park, Inglis Falls, Kelso Beach, the YMCA, and the library.
The packages were presented to the YMCA on June 16. In a release, the organization said staff were "overwhelmed with the generosity and thoughtfulness that these high school students put into this project."
The YMCA added that "the impact this will have on new families that arrive in our community will be long-lasting" and said it is "beyond grateful" for the contribution from Ms. Sparling's Leadership class, expressing hope that the partnership can continue in the future.
