Three Kemptville girls raised $110 for the Kemptville Salvation Army food bank last week by selling their homemade bracelets in their neighbourhood. Leah McPhee (7), Meredith McPhee (5) and their friend Adrianna Gabriele (8) decided to turn their favourite activity into a fundraiser after they learned about how many people were struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leah and Meredith’s Mom, Kerri McPhee, bought the girls a loom bracelet-making kit to keep them busy while they were home from school, and they decided that they wanted to sell each bracelet for $1 to help people who couldn’t afford food. The girls worked hard for a week making bracelets and ended up with about 50-60 of them, which they sold at the end of their driveway over two days. Kerri posted the girls’ effort in the Stonehaven Estates community Facebook group, and many of their friends and neighbours came to support them, some donating much more than $1 per bracelet. “The support from the community was wonderful,” Kerri says.
Kerri, her husband, and Adrianna’s parents are all very proud of how hard the girls worked to raise money for those in need. “They took an activity that they love doing and made it their own to help people,” she says. “They were really dedicated.”
The girls made an appointment at the Salvation Army food bank to present them with the donation on Friday last week. Director of the Kemptville Salvation Army, Calvin Wong, says community needs are increasing and that efforts like this are much appreciated. “It is heartwarming to see the thoughtfulness and compassion of people in our community who have stepped up to take care of those around us,” he says. “To see this expressed in the lives of young people is even more inspirational
