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Top Teen of Canada Speaks Out on Affordable Housing
The "Top Teen of Canada", Meghan Price, is using her title and reign over the past year to get the word out on the affordable housing crisis facing Canada, and the Habitat for Humanity solution. As part of her role as Top Teen, Meghan, a UBC Okanagan student, has been speaking at conferences with people of all ages, talking about the work that Habitat does.
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Meghan Price, 2009 Top Teen of Canada |
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"Many people are unaware that 4 million Canadians are in need of decent, affordable housing – and with 1 in 5 renters spending more than 50% percent of their income on housing, this is a national issue that needs addressing."
- Meghan Price, Top Teen of Canada
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Meghan first became involved with Habitat for Humanity through a friend who was interested in doing a Global Village trip. In February 2008, Meghan went to Guatemala with her family. "It was an amazing experience," said Meghan. "It really propelled me into my work with Top Teen and with Habitat."
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From the right, Nicole, a friend of Meghan’s, holds the girl whose family
received the Habitat home in Guatemala; Meghan is in the centre with some new friends! |
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"Affordable housing is directly linked to poverty, and poverty has many facets. The key to solving the issue of affordable housing is breaking the cycle – and breaking the cycle for one person inevitably helps everyone."
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Since winning the title of Top Teen of Canada, a national youth development program in which 26 teens from across the country competed in the summer of 2008, Meghan has used her title to help promote one of her passions: raising awareness about affordable housing and the work of Habitat for Humanity. Her speaking topics include youth involvement, leadership, and the need for all individuals to get involved, because as she puts it, "we need each other’s support". As someone with a global consciousness, Meghan likes to end her speeches with a quote by Ghandi: ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’.
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"You have to start with yourself if you want something to be different – that should be the motivation to get out there. If you make the change in yourself then you will see that change happen because you are part of this world; you are part of that change."
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Meghan shared a particularly memorable moment from her trip:
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One day there was a storm which prevented us from building for that afternoon. The kids in the village came home from school and we got a chance to play with the kids in the rain. I had the chance to take some cool B&W photos … it was amazing to see the joy in the children’s faces as they celebrated that it was raining - something that we take for granted. |
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One of Meghan’s B&W photos capturing a local Guatemalan child
exuberantly playing in the rain by the build site |
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"This is one of my passions – this is my cause. I want to do everything I can to make a difference in the lives of Canadians. Together we can make a difference!"
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Meghan is thrilled to be going back to Guatemala this fall. She’s going for three months, as part of the Go Global program through UBC's "Global Citizenship Term Abroad", where she will study global citizenship and Latin American history. While there, she will also take part in a two week Global Village build with her class and three faculty members from UBC.
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"My dream would be to promote this issue on a national scale through: educating Canadians on the need for affordable housing, fundraising for and promoting to Canadians to become more involved in the amazing work that Habitat for Humanity does, and helping finally bring an end to this crisis that is facing Canadians."
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As is evident, Meghan is already on a path towards realizing her dream. Besides speaking at conferences, she has also started a fundraising page where she hopes to raise $900 - $10 for each of her 90 days in Guatemala: "$10 a day will go a long way to help Habitat for Humanity provide homes for many families in Guatemala who struggle to survive on $2 a day". To achieve her dream, we can all hope Meghan meets her final requirement and can be one of many helping put an end to the affordable housing crisis facing Canadians.
If you’d like to help Meghan reach her goal, and donate through Meghan’s page to Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, please click here.
We’re very appreciative of all Meghan’s efforts – and all of you who have helped raise your voice in support of the affordable housing issue – thank you very much! |
