GREENSTONE, ON – On March 8, 2017, a former homeless youth and current entrepreneur, Joe Roberts will be pushing a shopping cart, (a symbol of chronic homelessness) through Nipigon, Ontario. The Push for Change is a 9000 km, 517 day trek across Canada to raise awareness and funds for ending youth homelessness. Greenstone OPP Community Safety Officer (CSO) Eric Corbin has organized and supervised several events across the community of Greenstone to help with this cause, successfully increasing awareness and raising funds.

On January 17, 2017, the grades four to eight students from the Longlac area who participated in fundraising for the event were allowed to take the day off school and attend a curling bonspiel.  The students of Eagles Nest Elementary in Long Lake 58 First Nation, along with students from Ecole Notre Dame De Fatima, Our Lady of Fatima, and Marjorie Mills in Longlac raised $679.00 for the cause and enjoyed a fun day of curling hosted by Constable Corbin.

On Thursday, January 26, 2017, Constable Corbin will be holding another curling bonspiel event at the Geraldton Curling Club for the grades four to eight students of the Geraldton, Nakina, and Aroland area.  Students from Johnny Therrieault Memorial School in Aroland First Nation, along with the students of Nakina Public School, and Notre Dame Des Ecole in Nakina, and students from St. Joseph, Ecole Catholique St. Joseph, and B. A. Parker Public in Geraldton are still working hard to raise money for this cause.

Those seeking to learn more or to donate can do so at www.pushforchange.com. Funds raised by the Push for Change Foundation will go to the Upstream Project to help implement an evidence-based partnership with schools utilizing a model of early intervention for young people who are at risk of disengaging from school, becoming homeless and entering the justice system.