Flurry of paper snowflakes help homeless kids

Twelve-year-old Alex brought her hand-cut paper snowflakes and the $600 she raised to help homeless youth at Covenant House this winter.

Like most kids, Alex looks forward to revelling in mounds of fresh-fallen snow. But she knows young people trying to survive on the street without warm clothes or shelter dread the winter weather. Alex wanted to use her talent to make a difference for homeless youth.

She started working on her snowflake fundraiser last summer. Then she took her project to an elementary school where she showed Grades 4 and 5 students how to make the intricate patterns.

Alex and her mom were able to get permission from the Bay-Adelaide Centre to set up demonstrations of the classic holiday craft. They distributed her more than 300 snowflakes to passersby for donations during the three-day drive earlier this month.

“I was very proud that I was able to use this craft to help those in need,” Alex says.

The budding artist and philanthropist now plans a book on how to make hand-cut snowflakes that will include samples of her work.