Instantly, Kevin and I hit it off – upon meeting, it was very clear and almost automatic, that both of us had similar ideals. We are both very social, enjoy interacting with people in our community and more importantly, we try to help others.
Kevin Mathiasz had recently invited me to a mentoring session with marginalized and racialized youth who had received scholarships or bursaries through the Pinball Clemons Foundation. The Pinball Clemons Foundation “provides marginalized and racialized youth with educational resources and options to integrate into the mainstream of society. The ultimate goal is to see youth successfully entering the workforce, gainfully employed in careers they desire.”
I was uncertain as to what to expect with these six, “speed dating”- like, 15-minute Zoom sessions with one or two of these young adults, but the experience was profound. Just chatting with them (about their lives and experiences and offering up everything from my career observations to answering questions on simple financial planning and literacy) left me thrilled with what they had been able to overcome and achieve in their young lives thus far. I was so excited at the end of the session that I felt I had to interrupt the final de-briefing to express my sentiment: “That was fantastic”, I gushed, “how do I do more to help?”.
Thus began a wonderful relationship, culminating in a partnership between High Rock and the Pinball Clemons Foundation that I hope will turn out to be very special. I have always been fond of giving back to a community that has supported me and my livelihood (in previous efforts with The Daily Bread Food Bank and New Circles (support for new Canadians) and we are looking forward to contributing to helping bring young adults and youth the promise of a better life.
I have always been quite fond of the saying / proverb: “If you give a woman/man a fish, you feed her/him for a day. If you teach a woman/man how to fish, you feed her/him for a lifetime.”
We think this is absolutely what the Pinball Clemons Foundation is doing, pouring every donated dollar directly into providing for these young people who are looking for better lives and allowing them to have options to move forward. At High Rock we are proud to be involved and look forward to helping the Pinball Clemons Foundation reach its goals.
This year, in lieu of holiday cards and / or gifts to clients, High Rock is making a donation to support one of the foundation’s youth in their academic endeavours. I encourage all of my readers to visit the website Pinball Clemons Foundation / High Rock and perhaps consider the possibility of helping out. The magic of the season lies in our hearts.
