On the afternoon of May 5, the First West Heights Scouts will be at the Mission Library packing approximately 50 backpacks with care kits to distribute to at-risk youth.
The scouts came together and brainstormed ways to make their town of Mission a better place. They decided to help the homeless and consulted Mission Youth House (MYHouse), which determined that the area of most need at this point was youth in treatment.
They often are taken to treatment with little/no possessions, in crisis. It is a difficult time for them as they work to overcome their issues and build towards a better future.
First West Heights will be providing backpacks filled with essential items, including personal hygiene items (such as shampoo, deodorant and toothbrushes), personal grooming items (including socks and combs), snacks, some comfort and diversion items (small stuffies, puzzle books, etc.) and handcrafted notes of encouragement from Beavers and Cubs.
Scouts will have a speaker from MYHouse come in to educate them about resources available to youth at risk in the community.
The goal is that the Scouts will be ambassadors, sharing information about these resources with other youth in their schools and community who may need access to this support.
There are 40 different Good Turn Week projects happening across the country. To find out more about Good Turn Week, visit: Scouts.ca/GoodTurn.