By: Lily Viggiano, Project Coordinator
July 22, 2021
Setting the Stage
The Service Learning breakout on our Wednesday Community Connections team is focusing our volunteer efforts on Silent Voice. In addition to running a fundraiser, we also provided some support for virtual games and activities they can do at the summer ASL camp. In fact, we are going to be meeting with the campers in August!
Who is supporting this project?
Volunteers: Manya Bandari, Angela Gerada, Senoli Jayaratha, Nishita Pillai, and Isabella Zeppieri
Community partners: Armen Svadjian of Oakville Public Library and Sumankalai Kanagasekarampillai of Silent Voice - along with Lily Viggiano Project Coordinator at HYI (and avid crafter!!)
On July 12, the team got together at Castlefield Park in Oakville to meet each other in person, make crafts and bring home kits of supplies.
How did we get connected to Silent Voice?
Manya - we were trying to search for some organizations that help the Deaf community and we found Silent voice. In the spring, they taught us ASL and then we figured out that we should help them out. We landed on doing a fundraiser to help send kids to camp.
What are we doing here today?
Nishita - We are creating crafts for the fundraiser for Silent Voice to help send Deaf and Hard of Hearing kids to camp.
Why did we choose to do crafts?
Isabella - who doesn’t like crafts?!
Faith - crafts are appealing to a large audience. The set up costs are low and we can hopefully sell high to raise more money for Silent Voice
Nishita - it's easy to make, especially if you have experience
What crafts did we make today?
Isabella - some cute earrings. Necklaces, bracelets and I think we made some rings.
Is there anything else we are doing to support Silent Voice?
Angela- we created activities for the summer camp for their virtual games. We are going to meet them in a few weeks. Folks can also donate directly to Silent voice.
How can people buy crafts?
Angela - if people go to our Instagram @Friends.Of.Silent.Voice they can DM and purchase via e-transfer. We will mail or drop off depending on where people live. We also have a gofundme account, for those just looking to donate money https://gofund.me/f8d93cc4
Crafting for a Cause Volunteers pictured above left to right: Isabella Zeppieri, Nishita Pillai,
Angela Gerada, Faith Mulder, Manya Bhandari