By Robert McAlaster, contributor.
For most high school students, graduation can be seen as the first significant step towards adulthood. It can be a time of celebration in many communities where youth are acknowledged for their journey and commitment to personal growth. Yet, for some students and their families who may be suffering through financial difficulties, graduation may also contribute to moderate or even extreme stress.
For the past ten-plus years, Merritt Secondary School staff members Shelly, Lia, and Crystal have run the Fairy Godmother Program at MSS in the hopes of making a difference and alleviating some of that stress for those in need.
“[Helping operate the program] is really rewarding,” Lia, a teacher/librarian at MSS, told the Herald in an interview late last week. “It’s a good service in Merritt for all of our graduate students to be able to attend graduation and not have financial needs be a road barrier to them graduating.”
Lia told the Herald that the program is essential for several different reasons. “People’s situations shift,” she explained. Sometimes it’s by way of a lost job, a sick family member, or a natural disaster, such as the recent floods. “Suddenly, a $500 grad dress is not achievable, right?”
The Fairy Godmother Program can offer several solutions for situations such as these. First, students who find themselves in financial need may apply for a grant of up to $250. According to the application form, the funds received by the grant may be used to cover “any graduation costs, such as the dress or tuxedo, sitting fees, grad photographs, grad fees, hair, makeup, shoes, accessories, alterations, dry cleaning, etc.”
Secondly, some students who may be in less financial need than others, or those inclined to be “sustainably conscious of consumerism,” have the option of visiting ‘The Closet’ where they can borrow garments donated by the community. Unlike the grant, both graduates and their dates may utilize ‘The Closet’ without applying.
When reached for a quote regarding the program, one student shared the following sentiment, “The Fairy Godmother Closet helped me a lot with the varying variety of sizes and styles. It helped take off the stress of buying a new grad dress, and it helps the kids who can’t afford it.”
While the Fairy Godmother Program is run through MSS, Lia was quick to point out the business community’s role in its success. “It’s a real community effort. It’s not just the volunteers at the school.” Lia said. “We have a seamstress in town, Susan McCartney, who donates her time often or gives us a reduced rate, and we can fit the dress. And the dry cleaner in town, when they were dry cleaning, would donate their time to dry-clean dresses.”
If you are an MSS student in need of financial assistance, or you know an MSS family who may need financial aid related to graduation, you are encouraged to contact the school at (250) 378-5131 or fill out the application form, which may be found at https://mss.sd58.bc.ca/graduation/.
Conversely, residents of Merritt who wish to help, whether in the form of a monetary donation, a garment donation or volunteering their time, may also contact the school at (250) 378-5131 and ask for a Fairy Godmother.
