Chapman’s Ice Cream has pledged $50,000 to Habitat for Humanity Canada’s Meaning of Home Contest. The Canada-wide contest will start accepting entries from students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 in January 2022 and raises money for local Habitat for Humanity organizations that support families in need of decent and affordable housing.

Each student is invited to submit an essay, story or poem about what home means to them. The winner for each grade is awarded a $30,000 grant for their local Habitat, with three runners-up per grade directing $10,000 to their local Habitat. The contest has raised $1.7 million to date and, in 2021, it helped 46 local Habitats build more homes.

With a record high of over 12,000 students participating in the contest in 2021, it encourages the development of confidence in young writers. The contest promotes creative writing and students are often surprised by the abilities that they discover. The contest also helps youth learn about safe and affordable home ownership.

“As a family-owned Canadian business, Chapman’s consistently finds ways to give back to Canadian communities, which is why a partnership between Chapman’s and Habitat for Humanity Canada is a natural one,” says Julia Deans, President and CEO, Habitat for Humanity Canada. “The Meaning of Home writing contest is increasingly popular and, thanks to Chapman’s generous support, we will hear from more youth across Canada and in turn support more local communities in addressing affordable housing.”

“Every small community across Canada is facing challenges with affordable housing these days. Habitat for Humanity Canada and their efforts are becoming more important than ever,” said Ashley Chapman, Vice President of Chapman’s Ice Cream. “We are always looking for ways to give back to the community. The Meaning of Home contest is an exceptional way to engage children across the country to reflect on

the true meaning of home in-support of local Habitat building projects. We are proud to support this important initiative,” he continued.

To build a house is one thing,
To have a home is a blessing,
Making memories with my family Is a luxury deserved by everybody.
I am thankful to Habitat for Humanity for giving me a chance to write poetry. I hope these words are seen by many, I confess so that together, we can build more happiness.
-- -Jake, Grade 5, Grand Prize Winner

For more information on the Meaning of Home contest, please visit https://meaningofhome.ca/.

source: media release, Chapman's Ice Cream