A Student From Mississauga Just Won an Exciting Competition
Published June 4, 2019 at 7:03 pm
A Mississauga student has won this year’s Show A Little Heart video competition.
This is the second year of the video competition. The competition highlights the benefits of intergenerational relationships. Post-secondary students were asked to submit a two to five-minute video that shows their relationship with a senior in their life. The videos show how a senior inspired the student or how they are an important aspect of their life.
Meagan Veneracion, a Mississauga resident and graduate from York University’s Film Production program, won second place. She documented the lessons she learned after meeting with 66-year-old Howard Ross. Ross was born with cerebral palsy.
Veneracion was visiting her aunt who works at a care home when she struck up a friendship with Ross. He is now living in the same facility as his mother, aged 91, who suffers from dementia.
“I used to volunteer at a retirement home for about four years. During my time studying Film Production at York University, I knew one of the stories I really wanted to share was about seniors because I’ve had such an experience and learned a lot from there when I volunteered. I told my aunt about a short documentary for school I was making about seniors since she works at Baycrest she was able to introduce me to Howard who said he’d love to be a part of the documentary,” said Veneracion.
Veneracion won $500 for her video titled, “Howard.”
Videos
Jaiden Pugar was the winner of the competition. He told an inspiring story of his grandmother and her passion for making cookies using a recipe she learned in Croatia more than 60 years ago. With his video “U Cookies,” he received $1,000.
In third place, George Turnbull won $300. He and his twin sister were only a few months old and living in an orphanage in Cambodia when they were adopted by Deborah Turnbull, a single parent determined to give the kids a better opportunity. Later this month, the 67-year-old parent will receive an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University for her work in international development. His video, “Ode to My Mother,” involves a poem and animation highlighting the two siblings’ journey from a Cambodian orphanage to living the Canadian dream.
This year the competition was sponsored by Heart to Home Meals. Heart to Home Meals delivers frozen food to seniors so they can easily cook a meal at home.
“We were very impressed by how students took a simple concept and offered a variety of ways to tell their stories. Tellingly, they all had a similar theme, how much there is to be gained when young people are open to advise and support from seniors,” said Matt Diestl, Director of Marketing and Development at Heart to Home Meals.
This is the second year Heart to Home Meals has sponsored Show A Little Heart.
To see the winning videos, click here.
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