Nobody’s Help Goes a Long Way

How is Nobody helping a good thing? Well, when “Nobody” is the name of a stuffed toy used by the Grade 1 Class at St. Joseph Public School in Penetanguishene, Ont., to encourage helping out in the community you have some excellent help.

The Nobody program gets students to help out in their local community, and the toy provides both context and a good photo op. This Nobody has also traveled to seniors’ residences for some yard work and to a hospital to volunteer and leave toys in the waiting rooms.

When Nobody came home with my daughter Emily, age 6, it didn’t take her long to decide where she wanted to go. Close to the time of the 2009 Canadian Home Workshop Show, she had asked me about the craftsman’s chest I was building to donate to Habitat for Humanity.

I explained to her that the organization works to build homes for people who couldn’t otherwise afford a house. With that conversation fresh in Emily’s mind, she asked if there was some way that Nobody could help give someone a home. A few phone calls later, I learned their was a build by Habitat for Humanity North Simcoe not too far away and that Nobody was welcome to come to help out.

At the site, Nobody and Emily, who was suited up with her tool belt and safety glasses, were put to work cleaning up tools, sweeping up drywall compound and cleaning up trash. Four hours later, we had a dirty little girl (and a strangely well-rested Nobody) ready to head home. Nobody didn’t do much; but since he got Emily working at the build, and she in turn raised awareness of the Habitat for Humanity program through her pictures and presentation to her entire class, I’d say Nobody helped out.

– Ryan Shervill

This article was published in the The Home Workshop Magazine in December 2009