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Renee Sanderson The Founder of The Pay It Forward NWT Facebook Page

For this True North Tale, I sat down and spoke with the founder of the Pay It Forward, NWT Facebook page, Renee Sanderson. And to start off my chat with Renee, she talks about what the Pay It Forward NWT Facebook page is and explains one of her reasons behind starting it

“I come from a small community and when I moved to Yellowknife. There was a lot of people who wanted to give back wanted to help others, but they just didn’t know how to get involved. And so that was kind of my point in making, the Facebook group was that, ok, this is what people are looking for. This is what they need. And if you’re wanting to help out, if you’re able to help out, Just giving them the opportunity. So they would know where resources were needed, what was needed and where it can be dropped off, always wanted to encourage others to give back to the community.”

Renee started the Facebook page back in September of 2015. And during our chat, I asked her to tell me how it feels to see all of the support that it’s gotten.

“Coming from a small community, I was really surprised with the support that was given. It just felt like as if we were a part of a smaller community that came together, which was funny because Yellowknife is really big. There’s lots of different groups and whatever, but once there was a need or help, like everyone just came together and there is like tons of support and fundraising going on. Yeah, it just kind of brought us together”

And to finish off my chat with Renee Sanderson, she talks about a person in her life that really helped instill her want to do good deeds. And she also mentioned an experience that really pushed her to start the Pay It Forward NWT Facebook page.

“I think it all came from the way I was raised. I remember sitting around the kitchen table and my dad would go, whoever was sitting at the table, like, “did you do a good deed today?” And that was our conversations for dinner. And so you always wanted to make sure, like, you know, oh, I did something. So you had something to contribute for the conversation. So I think that’s where it started. And also like I’m first nations and that comes from a smaller community that was always there, I guess, that we’ve always helped those around us and then moving to Yellowknife and seeing firsthand the homeless population and the crisis that, that comes and knowing that. I don’t want to have to wait for the government or for a higher organization to help this category. Like there has to be something we can do. And that was the big push for me, was to create the, Pay It Forward page to help the homeless. And just to again, bring that community feeling again from a bigger city.” -Renee Sanderson, Founder of the Pay It Forward NWT Facebook Page

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