Breanna Ching received the best present she had even gotten for her 20th birthday, but didn’t actually receive any gifts at all.
Instead of asking for gifts or money from her family or friends, the Souris native, who is attending Dalhousie University, asked her loved ones to donate money and clothes to help the homeless in Halifax.
“For years prior, I had used my birthday to collect toys for the IWK, but after I saw the homeless problem in Halifax, I wanted to move on and help them.”
Ching was inspired to help the homeless after she had ran into a homeless man on the street, and after talking to him, she took the man out for coffee.
After hearing the man’s story of struggling to survive on the streets, Ching realized this was a problem she wanted to help fix.
“I knew I wouldn’t be able to tackle the whole problem, but I could use my birthday as a way to raise awareness about it,” Ching said.
Ching told her friends and family about what she was doing and received donations and items of clothing from them.
After that, word of mouth spread, and Ching began getting donations from dozens of people – including her biology professor at Dalhousie.
“I think it speaks loudly of the generosity of people from the Maritimes. It really shows how amazing the people in our community truly are.”
Ching had originally set the fundraising goal at $200, but after what she was doing spread by word of mouth across the Maritimes, she has currently raised $325 and received nearly 450 items of clothing for the homeless.
“When I set my goal at $200, I was thinking maybe that was a little high, but I really wanted something to work towards. Now it has way surpassed that amount, which is amazing.”
Ching has dropped off the donations to the Salvation Army, Metro Turning Point and the Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Halifax.
Before that, though, she took some clothes and started handing them out herself to people on the streets.
Ching had a basket of clothes and had come across a homeless man, and asked if he needed anything.
“Do you have a pair of shoes?” the man asked.
Ching looked down at the man’s shoes and they were falling apart. The man had developed frostbite on both of his feet because the soles in his shoes had given away, leaving his bare feet to touch the ground.
She found a pair of shoes that fit and gave them to him. The man began to cry and thanked her.
It’s because of moments like this that Ching wants to continue helping the homeless in Halifax.
Breanna Ching received the best present she had even gotten for her 20th birthday, but didn’t actually receive any gifts at all.
Instead of asking for gifts or money from her family or friends, the Souris native, who is attending Dalhousie University, asked her loved ones to donate money and clothes to help the homeless in Halifax.
“For years prior, I had used my birthday to collect toys for the IWK, but after I saw the homeless problem in Halifax, I wanted to move on and help them.”
Ching was inspired to help the homeless after she had ran into a homeless man on the street, and after talking to him, she took the man out for coffee.
After hearing the man’s story of struggling to survive on the streets, Ching realized this was a problem she wanted to help fix.
“I knew I wouldn’t be able to tackle the whole problem, but I could use my birthday as a way to raise awareness about it,” Ching said.
Ching told her friends and family about what she was doing and received donations and items of clothing from them.
After that, word of mouth spread, and Ching began getting donations from dozens of people – including her biology professor at Dalhousie.
“I think it speaks loudly of the generosity of people from the Maritimes. It really shows how amazing the people in our community truly are.”
Ching had originally set the fundraising goal at $200, but after what she was doing spread by word of mouth across the Maritimes, she has currently raised $325 and received nearly 450 items of clothing for the homeless.
“When I set my goal at $200, I was thinking maybe that was a little high, but I really wanted something to work towards. Now it has way surpassed that amount, which is amazing.”
Ching has dropped off the donations to the Salvation Army, Metro Turning Point and the Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Halifax.
Before that, though, she took some clothes and started handing them out herself to people on the streets.
Ching had a basket of clothes and had come across a homeless man, and asked if he needed anything.
“Do you have a pair of shoes?” the man asked.
Ching looked down at the man’s shoes and they were falling apart. The man had developed frostbite on both of his feet because the soles in his shoes had given away, leaving his bare feet to touch the ground.
She found a pair of shoes that fit and gave them to him. The man began to cry and thanked her.
It’s because of moments like this that Ching wants to continue helping the homeless in Halifax.
