After seeing the success of Teachers Against Poverty in Arnprior, a group of teachers in the Renfrew area got together in hopes of taking that same formula and using it to benefit people in need close to home.
Micheline Blondin says TAP Renfrew’s main goal is that of any teacher: to help students where they need it. Whether it’s buying clothes and shoes for students, groceries or gas for the parents, or even delousing services and ensuring kids can go to summer camp, Micheline says “you name it, we do it.”
It’s a need in our community that has only deepened since the COVID-19 pandemic happened, as the 30 or so families they looked after three years ago has blossomed into over 60 in Renfrew, Admaston, Douglas, and Calabogie.
Recent successes, such as the smash hit Mom Prom earlier this year at the RCAF Wing, have gone a long way to help TAP Renfrew. That being said, Micheline admits that they feel a constant need to vary up the kinds of fundraisers they host so they’re not always asking the same people and businesses for donations.
The results speak for themselves, as TAP Renfrew can make a direct and positive impact on people who need the most help in our community.