Clothingdriveoffersauniqueincentive

Mayor Brad West could end up with a pie in the face

DIANE STRANDBERG dstrandberg@tricitynews.com

What do Port Coquitlam

Mayor Brad West, Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce board chair Jenifer Wright and TikTok fashion and comedy content creator Mehr Bhatia have in common?

They are all willing to take a pie in the face in support of a Youth In Action clothing drive for the 3030 Gordon Ave homeless shelter

The three influencers have accepted the challenge of encouraging people to donate men's and women's clothing in good condition, which will be distributed to the Coquitlam shelter

The clothing drive takes place this Saturday, March 25, from 1–2:30 p m at Glen Pine Pavilion 1200 Glen Pine Ct in Coquitlam

You can also have the clothes picked up (email dgeorge@volunteerconnections ca)

Which ever “influencer” gets the most items that they are “rooting for” will get a pie in the face at a special awards ceremony on April 14 West, who is championing socks, is already in the lead because as of last week, 150 pairs of socks had been donated more than hats and gloves combined, which the two other influencers are getting behind

“The students are really excited,” said Danielle George, community engagement and volunteer resources coordinator with Community Volunteer Connections

She said West was one of the first out of 50 people emailed to respond to the request to help support the clothing drive

But he isn't the only celebrity to help out with the clothing challenge

B C fashion vlogger and comedy content creator Mehr Bhatia has also issued an appeal for clothes

She's supporting hats and posted a video on TikTok, where she has over 385,00 followers, asking “Canadians” to “help out” by contributing to the Coquitlam clothing drive

“We emailed her, and she got back to us She was really excited to work with people in the community,” said George

The third participant in the clothing drive challenge is Jenifer Wright, the board chair of the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce, who is hoping people will donate gloves

Her support will engage the business community, said George

The Grade 10, 11 and 12 students met Wright and Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart on the first day of the clothing drive on March 11, and while intimidated at first to meet these community leaders they are learning a lot about how the world works, said George, adding the youth are learning a lot about planning a project and writing business emails through the project

“It’s been great watching these students blossom in a hundred different directions,” said George

All kinds of clothes are needed, not just hats/toques, socks and gloves; items such as pants, T-shirts, sweaters, jackets and shoes in good condition are being collected for both men and women

The Youth in Action Project is a volunteer effort for students between the ages of 15 to 18 years, who, over the course of a year, develop confidence, job and social skills while giving back to the community