What does home mean to you? On January 8th the nationwide Meaning of Home Habitat Canada writing contest launches.
The contest, which encourages students in grades 4, 5 and 6 to share what home means to them through a poem or short essay, is open for submissions at meaningofhome.ca. The contest runs from January 8th to February 23rd, 2024 where three grand prize winners, one from each grade, will receive a $30,000 grant to be directed to the local Habitat home build of their choice. This year Habitat Northumberland have once again partnered with local Realtors®, Jennifer Lean-Gadbois and Nikki Kelly, to sweeten the prize pot. All classes in grades 4-6 with participation in the contest will be entered to win one of 3 cash prizes of $150, for whatever your class needs.
“Nikki and Jenn continue to seek out opportunities to support Habitat and we are so pleased that they are creating more awareness for affordable housing opportunities in Northumberland”, noted CEO Cathy Borowec. “We’re hoping that this extra element from Nikki and Jenn will further encourage participation of students and teachers across Northumberland County.” Every student entry earns a $10 donation towards Habitat Northumberland, so each student’s participation is a win for the community.
The Meaning of Home contest was founded by Sagen in 2007 and has raised over $2.3 million to help build decent and affordable housing in communities across Canada. Last year over 12,000 entries were received which raised over $302,000. Meaning of Home submissions are judged and three grand prize winners, one from each grade, will receive a $30,000 grant to direct to the local Habitat home build of their choice. Nine runners-up, three from each grade, will also receive a $10,000 grant towards a local Habitat build.
Teachers or parents who are interested in having their grade 4, 5 or 6 students participate can access an educational module online at meaningofhome.ca that includes writing tips and information on affordable housing issues in Canada.
Winners of the 2024 Meaning of Home contest will be announced in May 2024.
Want more information? Teachers or parents can also contact Melissa Morrison, Community and Fund Development Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Northumberland (mmorrison@habitatnorthumberland.ca, 289-252-0999 x 29).
The Meaning of Home contest would not be possible without the generous support of Founding Sponsor Sagen. Thanks to their investments, students have an opportunity to give back to their communities in an engaging and meaningful way.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
