JACK HIRST WINS ONTARIO JUNIOR CITIZEN AWARD

HIRST LED A 'SHARE THE WARMTH' CAMPAIGN IN 2020 AND 2021 GATHERING DONATIONS FOR FOUR DIFFERENT COMMUNITY OUTREACH GROUPS

He noticed it was getting cold out and was concerned for people without coats or jackets.

Instead of moving on with his day, nine-year-old Jack Hirst decided to "share the warmth."

"I was like 'why don't I help donate stuff to help people survive the cold?'," said Jack.

A Grade 4 student from Port Robinson in Thorold, Jack worked to collect hundreds of pounds of winter clothing to donate to Niagara charities as part of his commitment to doing kind things for his friends and neighbours during the holidays.

His "share the warmth" project started in the fall of 2020 and resumed in 2021.

Eventually, his local school or club groups began to help. Items were collected for a month and then donated to four community outreach groups.

In 2020, he collected nearly 500 items of clothing with his small team in Port Robinson.

In 2021, the total amount of clothing more than doubled, changing the way they measured donations. They took in 300 pounds of

clothing and $200 in cash donations.

Jack's mother, Nicole Hirst, helped him figure out where they would send their donations.

She was very proud of

Jack for being willing to do the gathering again, as she left it up to him.

"He took the initiative to do it again," she said.

The four donor organizations were Niagara

Dream Centre, Niagara Mobile Closet, Toolbox Niagara, and Westview Centre 4 Women.

Jack was able to meet with each organization leader, who showed him where the donations were going.

All of Jack's hard work earned him a nomination for a Junior Citizen Award from the Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA).

Niagara this Week is a member of OCNA.

The awards are given to outstanding young individuals, aged nine to 17, who are making a difference in their communities.

"Not only do these inspiring individuals see a need, but rise to the challenge and contribute both their time and energy to making improvements. At a young age, they are committed to making a difference," reads the OCNA page for the award.

Samantha LeVasseur, a teacher at the school Jack attends, was one of the nominators.

"I've had the pleasure of knowing Jack since he came to our school as a Grade 1 student in 2018," she wrote in the nomination papers. "Through the years, I have known him to be a kind and thoughtful student who cares about people and his community."

Marty Wilson, Jack's neighbour, said he could not think of another nineyear-old more deserving of the award.

Wilson added he has seen Jack and his family walking through the community, pulling a wagon to collect trash to help keep the community clean.