47 # R I S I N G Y O U T H C O M M U N I T Y I M P A C T V O L . 2
A
small group of volunteers led
by Mercedes Courtney Rabesca
hosted a winter coat drive
for the community of Behchoko in the
Northwest Territories. "Due to COVID-19,
most individuals were laid-off from work,
families weren't able to work or find
jobs due to social distancing," explains
Mercedes. "Our homeless shelter was
closed for the season too. I wanted to
help the homeless population in our
community to stay warm!"
Seeing this dire need from close
families and friends in the community,
Mercedes and her friends put the event
together in just a few weeks. They
recruited close family members and
friends, who had time to volunteer and
help collect and transfer items to and in
Behchoko.
"We manage to collect over 100
jackets for youth and adults for the
drive," Mercedes proudly shares. "Our
goal was at least 50 items, but with the
overwhelming support, we have far
exceeded what we expected! We have
helped keep a lot of people warm this
season."
Keeping
Behchoko
Warm Through
the Pandemic
Mercedes Courtney Rabesca
I wanted to help the
homeless population
in our community to
stay warm!
The Facebook
page of Mercedes
Courtney's Winter
Coat Drive!
