For close to a decade, Will Finch, the driving force behind Good Will Good Karma, a non-profit animal rescue, has been committed to helping animals and inspiring youth in the community to gain confidence and create their own paths.
Finch, whose organization is based in Mt. Pleasant in the County of Brant, discussed its origins.
“It all started when I was seven-years-old. I got my first puppy ever, named Karma. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks after getting her, she passed away to the Parvovirus, a very deadly disease that’s common in puppies. Losing her broke my heart. But instead of birthday gifts for my eighth birthday, I wanted to do something good to support my community and to give back for my loss and my heartbreak…So, I raised $300 for a local dog rescue. I saw the impact it had [and] just wanted to keep going and wanting to keep expanding,” he said. “From there, we’ve raised close to a million dollars in donations and supplies for dogs and cats all across Canada. Over the years…the organization has evolved into not only saving animals…but also inspiring the youth throughout our community which is an important goal for us these days.”
Over the years, Finch has learned a great deal about himself and the community.
“I’ve learned that a community is willing to come together for a good cause. I think all communities have that person…who has that initiative to step up and recognize a problem or getting others to help where a community can come together. I’ve seen it so many times with all of our rescues, we post about heartbreaking rescues that we go see every day, and people just band together with donations, supplies, and other things that we need. It’s really touching to see firsthand,” explained Finch. “But I think, overall, Brantford and Brant County and the community here are always willing to step up and help a good cause, and I think that has really touched my heart. It’s shown me that I have that ability, as well as anyone…can have that ability to step up and give that spark to the community.”
However, the organization has evolved, not only doing rescue, but encompassing other things.
“At first, we were helping other organizations… We got all the donations, supplies, and we just spread it out to whoever needed it most, but that’s because I was younger and I didn’t have the ability to go first hand rescuing. So, as I’ve grown older, I’ve ventured out. We have started rescuing ourselves, fostering more animals and helping that way. We have our own vet now called Windrush in Burford, and they are amazing…they are always supporting us. But, I think we evolved in a way where we’re doing more things ourselves as a rescue, and then again, that aspect of inspiring youth to help out and support the community,” he stated.
While many stories have resonated with him, there was a particular one that he highlighted.
“I would say one of our most recent ones…is Knox. Someone knocked on our door and left a cat there. He was an older guy, but he was dumped in a box with barely any breathing holes. It was heartbreaking to see his situation and it was a hard rescue. For us, especially, I was at school. My mom came home, and it was there, and she didn’t even notice it at first. And we’ve had no records of his past…, so it is completely new to us. And he was just such a touching story to show the duality of our community, the pain, and the bad side is also the good side, so what, how can we turn a bad thing into something good through the community and inspiring other people,” he said.
Kristi Finch, Will’s mother and key supporter throughout, added to Knox’s story.
“One of the things about Knox is we don’t really want to encourage people dropping off cats on our porch…yet in this case…we were able to match him with a senior in our community, and it was such a soul connection with Terry. Terry had lost the cat and felt he was too old to get a new pet. He’s a really young athletic senior, and he felt that no one would adopt to him, and he and Knox are literally soul mates. We get updates almost every two weeks now on Knox and him. So that was a really difficult story at first, but now has a very happy ending,” she noted.
Nevertheless, despite his confidence and community leadership, he had to face some health issues early in life.
“From a young age, I had bilateral casts on both my legs from shortened Achilles tendons, so I couldn’t walk normally, ride a bike, or swim. I couldn’t play sports like other kids, so growing up, that’s how I made a connection with animals….I was always inside with pets…but as soon as I had the opportunity to play sports, I took advantage of it. I started by playing ball hockey, baseball, and other sports. After a slow start playing football…I started working out, and then I found myself getting better and better,” he recalled. “I started my second year, then went to high school. Started on both sides of the ball in high school, won Rookie of the Year for my high school team, and came back, playing strong for the Brantford Bisons. Then in my last high school season, I won MVP. I was also awarded the Kevin Finney Memorial Award for dedication and sportsmanship, and I also just won the most inspiring athlete award at BCI. I was the team captain on that team as well, and on the Bisons this year. So, it’s been quite the journey for me.”
Krist Finch, discussed her son’s growth through the years as an individual committed to bettering the community, while overcoming his own challenges.
“He has built a lot of resilience through adversity….it was difficult making friends as a youth, not being able to be active or participate in even some birthday parties. There would be pool parties or at play places, and Will couldn’t participate because he was either in bilateral casts or splints…he felt like he didn’t fit in, and it was a turning point, when Karma passed…he didn’t know what to do. He crawled up on the top of his bunk bed and said he felt like his heart was breaking. And it was the one time in my parenting where I was at a loss for words, because he asked me, how is this my good karma? And I didn’t have an answer. But, through his personal grief process he decided to start this initiative,” she noted. “That’s what I admire most…it was his idea to do this. And now every year his birthday fundraiser goal matches his age. So last year $16,000 was the goal, and he brought in just over $20,000. How many children have been inspired by Will’s actions…is what warms my heart the most. So a lot of people would focus on all the animals who’ve had second chances because of Will, but for me it’s the inspiration we have story after story of kids who have opted out of birth and birthday gifts, or instead of giving out loot bags, have donated $5 per child towards the rescue…Will’s impact in that light, one of the things that motivated him most when he gave his first donation at the age of eight was that he got to see the animals that he was helping, and so every time a child donates, we make a point, or will makes a point of giving a direct example of which animal or how that helped.”
Nevertheless, there have been countless inspiration stories, and one about a child in the community is especially a special one.
“We met Kystyn about four years ago. We got a call rather late from a mom who had heard about the organization. and needed to share her story. So, she is a local Brantford mom, whose husband passed away of a heart attack. And her little girl, Kisten, would have been eight. And Kristin through her grief process….took the money from her birthday, the tooth fairy money….and she saved it for a year after her dad passed. In his honor, she went into a local organization….and went to the counter to give her donation which was a few hundred dollars. Kystyn told her story to the person at the desk, and the person told her to put her money. She thought the person didn’t hear her story, she repeated it and they simply pointed to the area to leave her donation…and that’s something that shouldn’t happen,” she said. “Then someone in the community had told her about us…and that was it for Will…it broke his heart. One of the things that’s different about Good Will Good Karma is that 90% of donations are greeted with a thank you by Will. If it’s a donation by snail mail, it’s met with snail mail. If it’s an email, it’s met with an email…[however] they’re usually quite personal. We didn’t receive any funds from her; they were given to that organization…but immediately he put together a care package of [our] swag…like t-shirts, bracelets, and made her an honorary Good Will, Good Karma youth volunteer, and he met her and celebrated her. In fact, Kystyn gives a gift in honor of her teachers…letting them know it’s to local rescues… so that hands down as our favorite story [and] she comes out to many of our events.”
Finch has been recognized with various awards and accolades, which only provide a spotlight to shine on the work that Good Will Good Karma does.
“It just shows that I can have this balance between the rescue, sports, school, my social life, and my family life…and anyone can balance everything they want to. I hope that being recognized helps motivate others to continue to volunteer…the recognition is great, but…I strive more for inspiring others,” he noted. “When I was going to high school, I was a little worried, how, like, how the rescue would be taken by people in high school. I didn’t know what I was going into high school, playing football, everyone just loved the rescue. They were inspired by what I was doing….seniors on my team are looking up to me, a freshman in high school, telling me that they couldn’t believe what I was doing. It helped me become captain, because it shows the leadership on and off the field.”
Going forward, Finch looks to continue what he’s doing, as well as fulfilling some goals.
“My goals for the future will always revolve around Good Will Good Karma. Whether it’s rescuing animals or whether it’s going into vet care. My life is always going to revolve around animals. Football is another pathway I want to go down, especially in college. If it goes past that, great. But regardless, I want to go to college. I have so many doors open for me right now because of this organization… I can really do anything if I put my mind to, and whatever it’s going to be,” Finch explained. “Vet care has always been a passion of mine, ever since I was a kid. I always wanted to be an animal rescuer, and that wasn’t always feasible, so a vet would suffice for me. I would say just go into something in vet and something in sports at the same time…and I always want to make Good Will Good Karma….better, and strengthen our commitment to what we do.”
