During the holiday season, many families find themselves in need. Numerous organizations around Montreal lend a helping hand and this month, the Academy U16 team did its part with two community activities. The first one was at the beginning of the month, at the Centre Communautaire Hochelaga, and the second was at Moisson Montréal, Friday morning.
“The lady presented the project and explained what they were going to do. She gave sense to it all and I felt that the kids were receptive,” explained Impact U16 head coach Wilfried Nancy, after the first activity. “They were committed to the activity. They understand that there is professional sport, but that’s not all. They know that there is the player and the individual. For them, it’s a learning process and they can see that they are part of society.”
In the Moisson Montreal warehouse, the kids helped categorize and pack the food, whether it was fruits and vegetables, meat, or other products. Even though the activity was fun, players took the task seriously and made sure they did what was expected of them.
“At Moisson Montreal, we distribute to 244 organizations per month,” said Moisson Montreal volunteers coordinator Irina Dratchova. “These organizations come here at least once a week to get food. Across all these organizations, we help 146 000 people every month. For it to be efficient, we need at least fifty volunteers every day of the year.”
At the Montreal Impact Academy, the development of a soccer player is one of the objectives, but the human aspect is just as important, if not more important. This type of activity is one of many favored by the coaches.
