makeChange™ Moments

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Hi Everyone

It's Hannah. I wanted to share with you something that I did a while ago. I asked my parents to take me back to where I first saw a homeless man eating from a dumpster. I was 5 years old and it was a cold winter day when I saw for the first time a human being eating from a garbage can. I will carry that day in my heart forever.

I decided I wanted to stand there and see how I would feel. I will tell you I felt many emotions as I looked inside the dumpster. But what I felt most of all was hopeful. It seems strange to think that standing by a dumpster could make me feel so much and especially hopeful. When I was 5 years old and saw that homeless man eating garbage from that dumpster, I felt heartsick and confused that people could have to eat other people’s garbage in order to survive.

Over the past 6 years I have learned many things about homelessness, hunger, and poverty but what I carry in my heart now is hope. I have worked with many people who share, care, and help make change in the world for the better. I believe if we see with our eyes, feel with our hearts and work with our minds and hands together we can make change for the better in our communities, our country, and our world.

So when I stood by the dumpster 6 years later I thought about all that has happened to help the very people that eat from dumpsters and sleep outside.

I wish I could tell that first person I saw eating from the dumpster how much he changed my life. I wish I could know he was okay. I wish I could hug him and tell him I care and that I carry his sadness with me from that day.

We still have lots to do but the kindness, caring and sharing I have seen from others has made my heart hopeful. Hopeful for a better life for our hungry and homeless… Hopeful for all of us and our amazing ability to care for others!

Hugs and Ladybugs,
Hannah

Students' makeChange™ Moments

• Re: Hannah Taylor curriculum
  Christel Hildebrandt
• A kindergarten kid lends Habitat a hand - His Turtle Foundation helps a family get a home (pdf)

These short stories demonstrate how schools, classrooms and individuals
across Canada are making change!

makeChange™ Moments #1

makeChange™ Moments #2

makeChange™ Moments #3

makeChange™ Moments #4

Teachers' makeChange™ Moments

• Lisa Pedrini
  Manager, Social Responsibility and Diversity, Vancouver School District
• Sally and students of Champlain
  Granville Ferry, Nova Scotia
• Ms Payal Tuli
  Assistant Principal, Brentwood School – Traditional Learning Centre
• If you’re not from Greenview School, you would not know about...
  Lynda Horvath, Teacher, Greenview School
• A Letter to Hannah (pdf)

We want to hear back from you!

Have your students email Hannah through makeChange™ with Hannah at to tell us all about your makeChange™ Project and how you helped make a difference in the lives of others.