Rachel hopes that her donation will inspire other young people | Photo by B. Shakyaver
A local young person is working to make their mark through a generous donation – to date, Zurich local Rachel Ducharme has donated $4012 to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwestern Ontario in London.
The specific figure was intentional – Rachel says that her family decided to donate $2006 at Christmas for the last two years, in honour of her birth year.
Rachel and her parents Rob and Christa dropped off their donation just in time for Christmas | Photo submitted
Over the last two years, through her home crochet and baking business “Ray’s Crochet” Rachel has worked to save the money for donations through making stuffed animals, and home baked goods like her famous cinnamon buns – a best seller at Christmas time.
RMHC lodges families with children requiring hospital care, a service which Rachel says is vital for rural communities.
When asked what she would tell other young people that want to make a difference in their community, Rachel says it’s important to find something that’s personal to you.
Rachel sold her crochet at Christmas and Farmer’s markets over the past couple of years to save up for her donations | Photo submitted
Heading out of high school next year, Rachel says that she isn’t sure what next Christmas will look like, but that she hopes to give back to Ronald McDonald house by either continuing her annual tradition, or baking for the residents.
If you’d like to help support RMHC, you can visit rmhc-swo.ca
Written by: B. Shakyaver