The athletics department at Loyalist College, in conjunction with local entrepreneurs, are looking to collect 100 scarves to keep people in need warm during the winter months.
“This is the first year we have facilitated this event. A local entrepreneur contacted us to be one of the drop-off locations and we jumped on board,” said Amy Hoskin, athletic assistant at Loyalist.
The scarf drop box is located near the gym doors and has been accepting items since Feb. 8. The collection ended on Feb 14 at the men’s basketball game.
“We are hoping to get more than 100 scarves with the collection,” said Hoskin.
“We called it the 100 Scarf Challenge to try and challenge our community to get behind this initiative. When we get the scarves we will try and sew most of them in pairs to create infinity scarves. We will then donate them to Canadian Mental Health or charities in communities with people in need,” said Nick Foley, the entrepreneur behind the challenge.
The challenge aims to help people out on the streets stay warm in the long winter months. According to The Homeless Hub, in 2010, there were 955 people at risk of becoming homeless in Belleville. At that time, there were already 511 people living on the streets.
Homelessness affects primarily the elderly. They are the most prominent group, with ages ranging from 60 to 80, who find themselves without housing. However, homelessness can affect anyone, including youth and families.
“The inspiration behind it came from groups such as the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Sleep Out So Others Can Sleep In event,” said Foley.
“I was outside, thinking, ‘We have these warm clothes and scarves that others might not have.’ We are hoping that near the end of winter people will be needing their scarves a bit less and be more willing to donate them,” said Foley.
The collection box at Loyalist College is already full. The team of organizers were planning on accepting more scarves at the basketball game. During half time, the group was also going to spread information to the crowd about mental health.
“It’s about starting the conversation. People have the capacity to make a difference. It doesn’t matter your age. The necessity to progress is to have a discontent for the status quo and you have to be relentless in your pursuit to change it,” said Foley, about how people can help make a change in their community.
Foley created Move For Inclusion in 2015. He cycled across the country from April to July. The organization went to schools across the country and talked about the acceptance of all people without bias.
Since his cross-country ride for inclusion, the movement has been partnering college students and kids living with exceptionalities. They perform activities and play various sports together, on a weekly basis.