PRESIDENT’S REPORT
24 November 2014
The purpose of life is not to be
happy — but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make
some difference that you have lived at all. Leo
Rosten
Our
fifth season is now well underway. At this time, 22 students are receiving $100
each month to make their lives a little easier and to help them graduate high
school. Their stories are both very sad and heart-warming but I have been
amazed by how positive they are despite living in difficult circumstances. In every case, their school has identified
them as hard-working students who are trying very hard to get through high
school.
When
we meet the students, they are in shock, not fully understanding that complete
strangers are going to help them graduate high school. As they leave the meeting, we will either get
a quiet “thank you” or, if we’re lucky, a hug.
Always a very moving moment.
Our
Annual General Meeting took place at St. Matthew HS on Wednesday, November 19th. My thanks to the Members
who attended. A donation of $100
or more entitles the donor to attend the next AGM.
I
would like to thank the Gloucester North Lions Club for their recent
donation. The Club has been an amazing
supporter since the beginning of the HOST Program. Their continuing support is an inspiration to
me to keep going.
Compared
to other charities, our work is quite modest.
Our long-term objective is to support at least one student from each of
the 50 Ottawa youth high schools. With 18 schools participating in the HOST
Program, we are over one third of the way there. In order to achieve our dream, we need the continued
support of our current donors and we need to find new ones.
You
are our best ambassadors. Please talk to
your family, your friends and your co-workers.
I would be delighted if you could open a door for me to make a
presentation to a business, group or association.
The
next President’s Report, published in early January, will feature
excerpts from the recipients’ letters.
Best
regards,
Richard
Lussier
President
(613)
983-3633