Sifting through seemingly endless piles of toys, clothes and books, packing them into hundreds of boxes, and then figuring out how they’ll reach remote fly-in communities like Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, a.k.a. Big Trout Lake First Nation, sounds like a daunting task. But for Maxine Roness, executive director of the Kids Come First Child Care Centre that organizes the Between Friends Aboriginal Clothing and Book Drive twice a year, a decade of experience helps the process.
On April 22, the centre packed up the batches of clothes, books, toys, sports equipment and household items to be delivered to 14 aboriginal communities across Northern Ontario, such as Pikangikum, which has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.
Due to the size and carrying capacity of the planes that access the fly-in sites, several boxes won’t reach their final destination for a few months.
“We don’t like to use the word ‘help,’” Roness says of their efforts. “We’re not saviours, we’re just lending a hand.”
The drive was inspired by Roness’s daughter, who was working at an Aboriginal centre in Thunder Bay, when she saw a need that could be filled. “We thought it would last a year,” she says. “That was 10 years ago!”
“ We don’t like to use the word ‘help.’ We’re not saviours, we’re just lending a hand."
For Roness, the drive’s success can be measured by the fact that they are now a recognized name in the communities they supply, by the letters of thanks they receive, and by the donations made not only from people, but from larger manufacturers like book suppliers. Although the next drive isn’t scheduled until October, donations are accepted year-round and are kept in storage until they can be used.
Alongside the drive, the daily work of the Kids Come First Child Care Centre is equally important. Established in 1992, the charitable organization now serves 800 kids between pre-school to school-age, at two locations. Roness, and co- executive director Toni Pellicano have implemented an “emergent curriculum” with a hands-on approach to learning that is being revamped on a daily basis. “Every thing is derived from the needs of the children,” she says.
The kids also take part in the clothing drive, and are educated as to why they are taking the initiative and how it helps.
Although the centre has won numerous awards and grants such as the Donner Canadian Foundation Award for Child Care and the Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant, and Roness herself was awarded the Civic Hero Award by the City of Vaughan for her dedication to her work, she says it’s still a struggle to find funding.
“Getting a plane isn’t a problem,” she says, referring to the drive. “Getting boxes isn’t a problem, but money is.”
Post City Magazines salutes Maxine Roness for her dedication to kids in Aboriginal communities.
