Crime Stoppers of Halton's Jail-a-Thon

Burlington, Ontario, October 12, 2015 (Newswire.com) - ​​​​When we hear the word – police –   it probably conjures up different thoughts for us but we should all stop once in a while and be grateful for the great and oftentimes hidden work these men and women  in uniform do to protect us and make us feel secure in our communities.  Truth is we feel 'safe' exactly because they are doing their job as a good cop once told me.

Harnoor Gill, a 17 year old high school student from Halton Hills, decided however he wanted to give back and is taking part in the  'Crime Stoppers' of  Halton's Jail-A-Thon Charity event on October 17th in Burlington Mall, where he will become  'a jailbird' for a day! “It's a real privilege, he says, to volunteer with the 'Crime Stoppers” Gill is also working with Enbridge to reach and engage other youth.

"One of my proudest contributions to the great work being done in my community is in my established youth group in Halton Hills known as the Peace Welcome Club (PWC)."

Harnoor Gill, Founder, Peace Welcome Club

Volunteer virtuoso, Gill also serves and participates in special events such as the local “Police Day” and “Ribfest” to help raise awareness of local crime prevention.   “My first experience with crime prevention was when I became part of the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in middle school and took part in the PEACE (Police Ethnic and Cultural Education) Youth Leadership Program in grade 9.   I am now in grade 11 year and am on the 'Safe Schools Committee' and the National Youth Advisory Committee (NYAC) of the RCMP. I believe all of this involvement was what led me to become a member of the Crime Stoppers of Halton”.   His goal is to raise $1,000 for them and he has already reached $775. “I would really appreciate if people would support this cause and help me help my/our community, “he says.

But where does all this spring from? In fact it was his mother who encouraged him to start volunteering when he went through a difficult time as a newcomer to Canada.  By becoming involved in his community he discovered he forgot about himself by thinking more about folks around him. This opened a new and happier chapter for him. It also helped him overcome his shyness to the point that today he speaks in public for various causes especially advocating for the youth.  He writes locally and has been published internationally.

Gill founded the Peace Welcome Club (PWC) a few years ago in Halton Hills with the help of his mother. The club is open to children/youth form 4-18 years of age but designed especially for newcomers to Canada. The idea is to help welcome them and in time show them how they can become involved in the community. The club also provides information on programs for older children and youth and provides regular updates on its facebook page along with articles on current community events. Gill says he sees the PWC as a tool that can be used for social justice and a hub that gives youth a chance to raise their voices for good and contribute to bringing about change where needed. For the last three years, since its inception the PWC programs has closely aligned their programs with the volunteer and local community needs in the Halton Region.

So if there are any bored young folks out there you   just might want to take Gill's lead and see how you can help your local community!  It's always true that 'there is more joy in giving than in receiving' and this story proves it.

*Crime Stoppers is a charitable organization that provides civilians with a way to report criminal activity with guaranteed anonymity. Civilians can leave an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), texting "tip201" with their message to CRIMES (274637) or online at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com. If your tip leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000. 

For more information about Harnoor Gill - https://ca.linkedin.com/pub/harnoor-gill/89/2a/5ba

Harnoor ‘s interview at the Erin Radio for Jail-A-Thon - https://soundcloud.com/itzmatb/harnoor-gill

Donate here - https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/crime-stoppers-of-halton-inc/Jail-A-Thon/bail-harnoor-out-of-jail/

For further information:

For media interviews contact Harnoor Gill:
[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/PeaceWelcomeClub

About the Author – Maria Dalgarno is a freelance writer in Toronto. She can be reached at [email protected]