SOLE Question to Social Conscience In One Easy Step

Earlier this year one of the students in my Grade 5 class raised a question about homelessness which became a SOLE question for us. After their presentation we had a great discussion about all the different aspects of homelessness. It was important to my students because during a cold streak where the daily temperature rarely rose above – 20 celsius, they were wonder how the people who lived on the streets were doing. There was further discussion but the implications of our discussion, was impressed on their minds. In late March a student asked if we could raise money for the Soup Kitchen in Oshawa. We discussed it at great length. It was decided that we would sell Yonana ice cream in our school on Wednesdays for $1 per cup. The students made posters and developed PSA’s to advertise our product. And so the sales went. We eventually made $220 to give to the Soup Kitchen.

On Wednesday June 4 we will be travelling to the Soup Kitchen to present a cheque to them and to tour their facilities. During a discussion this week the students raised the following questions to ask at St. Vincent’s Soup Kitchen:

What is the Money we are donating going to? Is it just food?

Is there a limit to the number of people that the Soup Kitchen can service in one day?

Why was the Soup Kitchen started?

Is it staffed by volunteers only?

Is it related to other Soup Kitchens?

Is it just for eating? Are there other services there? Does it cost money to eat there?

What kids of foods do you serve?

Why is it called a Soup Kitchen?

Do you serve 3 meals a day or are you open 24/7?

Are there other Soup Kitchens in Oshawa?

What is the procedure for people to get food?

How old do you have to be in order to volunteer?

How are you supported? Is there a computer that helps run the kitchen? How are you set up as a business?

Do you get a lot of donations?

Their excitement mounts as they anticipate what they will see there.

This social awareness they have raised demonstrates how easy it is to research and then follow up by doing something. Some are already talking about  what they can do next year to help people who need it. In the meantime I have to give more thought towards something larger and more detailed that will last a whole year.