1067 HEADPHONES DELIVERED SO FAR THANKS TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND WE ARE STILL GOING!
Our team is very grateful for all the people from across the country who have been mailing headphones and sending contributions to help us buy headphones. With the Help of the wonderful people at Otto's Subaru and Otto's BMW, who provide drivers and cars for our headphones run, we are able to go all across the city to deliver headphones to the children.
On April 23rd and 24th, with the help of Otto's Subaru and Otto's BWM we distributed 183 headphones.
On Friday April 30th, we distributed 291 headphones to children in shelters and gave 225 headphones to two principals of schools who contacted us to obtain headphones for their low income students, who for many of them, live in difficult conditions. On Friday May 7th, with the support of PREZDENTIAL HOOPS, the Boys and Girls Club, the Otto's Group and DUSTBANE we handed a total of 300 headphones. We cannot begin to tell you how relieved many children, youth and their parents were to receive a pair of headphones. We are receiving many touching and at the same time heartbreaking testimonies of young people across the city. A 15 year old young man in temporary housing sent us a very touching letter. Here is a part of Iliaq's testimony:
"Let me tell you what the headphones that you gave us and the food that you bring to us does for me, my brothers and my mother. If you came to visit us, you will see that it’s been a big challenge to study or even run away from the noise of the neighbors upstairs jumping and playing. But it’s not their fault, they are children with not much space to move. Your headphones are giving me and my brothers and the children in the shelter a big chance at having better grades. It helps us focus in class and hear our teacher properly. For the past 3 weeks, it took away the embarrassment that I felt. Before I received the headphones, I would run to the washroom to run away from the noise, and it was still hard to hear. When my class is done, I use the headphones to watch movies and paw patrol with my little brothers. I also use them to listen to music. I never received a gift like this in my life. My mother can’t afford this for us. She works very hard as a personal support worker." Since the beginning of this program, we have been receiving many messages from parents, students and even Principals who are sending requests for headphones. We are receiving more and more requests for headphones. As you know, the Government on Ontario is now considering the option of permanent online learning.
We continue to accept headphones and donations for headphones as the need is on-going. Over the past weeks, we have come to realize that many low-income families also need headphones. We continue to support children and youth right here in Ottawa who really need headphones. We have extended our project to Toronto and Hamilton and with our partner, Sisters in Synch. We have a goal to donate 4 000 more headphones. Headphones cost each around 20$. If you can share our call for headphones with your networks, it would be much appreciated. We sincerely thank you from the bottom of our hearts again for your kindness, support and generosity. With gratitude, Equal Chance Operations@equalchance.ca www.equalchance.ca
