Young student supports February Potato Blitz

Young Eva Wolfe helped out at the recent Community Potato Lunch.

Eva Wolfe has a tender heart.

Eva, an 8-year-old Grade 3 student at Northlake Woods Public School in Waterloo, would always be troubled when seeing men experiencing homelessness while travelling throughout Kitchener-Waterloo and area with her mother, Sheryl Bergman-Wolfe.

“She would always ask me to stop (and give them money),” said Sheryl. “She wanted to help.”

Eva has always put her tender heart into action. Last year, when her school was supporting the Me to We program that was founded by brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger, she made keychains to help raise money for the campaign. Her efforts netted $64 for the Me to We Foundation.

This year, Eva wanted to do something once again to help.  This year her school chose to have each individual class participate in fundraising activities focusing on supporting a local charity or organization.

That’s when Eva remembered the men she had seen who were experiencing homelessness.

“I started thinking about how I could help this year, that I could help the homeless,” said Eva.

She approached her teacher, Jennifer McCabe, and said that she wanted to help those experiencing homelessness.

Timing is indeed everything, as McCabe had just received a flyer from House of Friendship, promoting this year’s February Potato Blitz. They soon decided that this was the perfect fundraising vehicle for the school. Every classroom got on board, and the Northlake Woods Public School Potato Blitz was born.

Eva enlisted the help of her friends, and even her older sisters, Ilana and Sarah, to make keychains again this year, to raise money for the February Potato Blitz. Their combined efforts raised $134.68.

The school as a whole, however, also embraced the February Potato Blitz, collecting a further 400 lbs. of potatoes. A cake raffle and basket raffle, where each classroom created themed gift baskets, raised even more money, bringing the grand total for the school to $2,100.

And, to cap off Eva’s extraordinary month of support to House of Friendship, Eva and her mother recently served as volunteers at this year’s Community Potato Lunch, held on Feb. 24 at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.

“I was interested in coming and meeting people who need food, and meeting the other people who are trying to help them,” said Eva, who also hopes to visit some House of Friendship programs when she has a chance.

In the meantime, Sheryl said that she is proud to be part of what her young daughter has accomplished.

“I’m very proud of her, very proud,” said Sheryl. “She’s making a difference.”

This year’s February Potato Blitz surpassed its goal of collecting the equivalent of 300,000 lbs. of potatoes, reaching a grand total of 319,000 lbs. in spud and cash donations, thanks to the generosity of our donors ­– and special young supporters like Eva.

Potatoes and cash donations collected during the February Potato Blitz will be used to help support House of Friendship programs throughout the year, including Food Hamper distribution, and the Charles Street Men’s Shelter.