The Meaning of Home Contest

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The Meaning of Home Contest

Grade Four Student Uses Words to Build a Home

Last fall, Habitat for Humanity Canada and our partner, Genworth Financial Canada, asked students in grades 4, 5 and 6 across Canada to tell us what "home" means to them by entering the Meaning of Home Contest. Over two thousand children responded and wrote stories or poems that spelled out the important role that home played in their lives. The Prize? A new desktop computer, and, more importantly, the chance to play an instrumental role in making "home" happen for another family by choosing the next location where Genworth would sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home.

Sarah, a grade 4 student from Kingston Ontario, was the winner of the first Meaning of Home Contest. Sarah chose the Habitat for Humanity Greater Kingston and Frontenac affi liate to be the recipient of a $60,000 donation from Genworth Financial – enabling the construction of a new Habitat for Humanity home in her hometown in 2008.

Three runners-up were each able to direct a $5,000 donation to the affiliate of their choice; affiliates in Halifax, York Region and Calgary were the recipients of this unique prize.

Above all, each of the 2,000 entries was an inspiration and a reminder of how very important "Home" is in shaping our lives.

The 2008 Meaning of Home Contest will run from October 6 to November 14, 2008. To learn more or to get involved, please visit www.meaningofhome.ca

Photo Credit: Habitat for Humanity Canada, Steffan Hacker, Jason Halstead, CP

"Meaning of Home Contest" winning letter – Sarah, grade 4 (Kingston, ON)

The Meaning of Home

My mother, brother and I would often go downtown in Kingston to shop. I would always see this old man in a sleeping bag. He was always on the same corner. He reminded me of my grandpa, white hair, red cheeks and blue eyes. I wondered if the old man in the sleeping bag was someone’s grandpa. Mom told me he was homeless. I thought how awful, how sad, how come. I would think of my home, a small house, but I like it. I really like my bedroom, it is pink and white, decorated with Ottawa Senators posters. It is my room and I can even shut my door if I want to be alone. My home is warm and at night when I look out my bedroom window and see the branches blowing in the wind and my bedroom windows rattling from the breeze, it makes me feel safe and secure.

My home always has food in the fridge if I am hungry. There is also a nice feeling that I belong here in my home. Many lessons have been taught to me here in my home, and my home gives me a chance to talk about my day with my mom and brother.

There is a routine in my home and no surprises, I know what to expect. I am to do chores, as we all work together to have a nice, clean, tidy home.

If you walked by my house you may hear laughter or crying. You see, I can do both in my home because I feel safe.

My home is special because my family makes our home comfortable for all of us. I hope I always have a home to come to.

I always ask Mom if we can take the old man in the sleeping bag home with us, so he will not be homeless anymore. Mom never goes for this idea, but we always give some change to the old man in the sleeping bag.

I pray for the old man in the sleeping bag –that he finds a home, a place with a bed so he can put his sleeping bag away forever.