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Richmond students ignite some warmth Downtown

High school grads delivered more than 400 essential packages to Vancouver's homeless before Christmas

A group of Richmond high school grads organized and delivered more than 400 packages of winter essentials to residents of the Downtown Eastside before Christmas.

The Ignite The Warmth (ITW) team ­— made up mainly of Steveston-London alumni — with the help of volunteers, sorted the packages of blankets, clothes and toiletries at their former school on Dec. 22 before delivering them by hand in Vancouver the next day.

ITW’s eight-strong crew was formed three years ago after members of the group witnessed first-hand the plight of the homeless community during their own blanket drive while attending Steveston-London.

As well as providing some much-needed comfort to the community, ITW’s mission includes combatting ignorance of the homeless on three fronts: facilitate, educate and communicate.

It also helps other groups assist the homeless, guiding them through the channels required to set up events, such as blanket drives, a popular tool used in the colder months to bring comfort to the people living rough.

For more information on ITW, go online to IgniteTheWarmth.com
 

Ignite
An Ignite The Warmth member hands over one of the packages that the former Richmond high school students helped organize and put together as part of their ongoing community project. - submitted