Season of giving: A look at what people are doing to help others in the community
From food drives to mitten trees, card drives and financial donations, many people in Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County are working to make the holidays brighter for everyone in the community. Have a look at some of their efforts.
Schools have held food drives and collected donations for various charities
CBC News ·
Students at Bishop Macdonell Catholic High School in Guelph operated a Hope for the Holidays Drive, raising more than $5,000 in cash and gift cards for families at Michael House, which provides shelter and support to pregnant and parenting women and their children. Brianna Pham, the student lead for the initiative, said she was motivated by the idea that "we all deserve a happy and worry-free Christmas." (Photo provided by: Wellington Catholic District School Board)
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Throughout the month of December, CBC Kitchener-Waterloo holds its annual Sounds of the Season campaign to raise food and funds for The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
People in the community find so many ways to give back and CBC K-W wanted to highlight some of those efforts.
Below are photos from local groups and schools who have helped make donations to various charities to help others in their community.
St. Mary Catholic School in Elora organized a mitten tree and gift card drive (in lieu of a toy drive) in support of Centre Wellington Food Bank. More than $900 was raised to help families in need and the mitten tree was over flowing with donations. (Photo provided by: Wellington Catholic District School Board)
Ms. Klooster’s grade 12 business leadership class at Huron Heights Secondary School hosted a livestreamed spelling bee over the course of two days earlier this month. This competition is part of a Choose to Lead CSR class project that challenges students to plan, lead, organize and host an event that gives back to the community so that they can practice management skills, and understand the significance and value of how business leaders can support our communities by using a triple bottom line approach in their management philosophy. This year the students selected to raise funds through a homeroom challenge in support of A Better Tent City. During the fundraiser week, Nov. 29 to Dec. 3 they raised $1,867.45 in support of A Better Tent City through in-class and online donations. (Photo provided by Waterloo Region District School Board)
A member of the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada accept a donation as part of their "Fill an Army Truck" food drive in Kitchener on Dec. 11. (Lt(N) Andrew McLaughlin/DND)
JF Carmichael Public School in Kitchener set up a Winter Community Closet behind the school. They encourage people to swap winter wear they don’t need or help themselves to boots or snowsuits, hats or mitts so all kids can stay warm this winter. (Photo provided by Waterloo Region District School Board)
The social justice team at St. Francis Catholic School operated Our Drive for Dignity for Hope House in Guelph. (Photo provided by: Wellington Catholic District School Board)
The Citizenship in the ACE Life Skills classroom and the Leadership class at Grand River Collegiate Institute in Kitchener joined forces to organize a homeroom sock collection. ACE Life Skills students made posters for the school, recorded the morning announcement, and visited homeroom classrooms with the leadership students to both promote the event and collect the socks. They also participated in counting the socks. In all, 615 pairs of warm socks were collected at GRCI. These socks were dropped off at Ray of Hope by two of our ACE Life Skills students, accompanied by Mrs. Ringwald, when they were there to learn about other programs at Ray of Hope. (Photo provided by: Waterloo Region District School Board)
The student senate from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School in Guelph organized a Christmas Card Decorating event where they made cards for St. Joseph Health Centre. (Photo provided by: Wellington Catholic District School Board)
Students at Ecole Guelph Lake in Guelph held a 'week of hope' where they collected different items on different days. It included a canned good day, cereal day, baby item day, craft day and toiletries. (Photo provided by Nicole Hamilton/Ecole Guelph Lake)
Sacred Heart Catholic School in Guelph operated a Sock Tree where they collected clothing and food for a donation to the food bank. (Photo provided by: Wellington Catholic District School Board)
Ms. Binkley's grade 2 students at Franklin Public School in Kitchener lead the Franklin Kindness Initiative. Various classes participated in the marking of cards or letters/pictures over the last couple of weeks. 250 were created to share with patients and 25 with staff at the Grand River Hospital. As well, the Junior Leadership team at the school a hat and mitten school initiative. Donations will be shared between Franklin students who require or forget these items and to families that are in need of the community. There was also a winter clothing drive. (Photo provided by Waterloo Region District School Board)
The Lions for Justice club at St. James Catholic High School collected lightly used layers such as coats, boots, hats, sweatshirts, and jeans as well as new undergarments such as socks and underwear for youth at Wyndham House. (Photo provided by: Max Manuel/Wellington Catholic District School Board)
Off-duty police, firefighters and paramedics in Guelph stuffed an emergency vehicle with 13,380 lbs of donated items from people in the royal city on Dec. 11. (Photo provided by Leanne Swantko/deputy chief Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Service)
Laurelwood‘s Week of Giving began approximately 23 years ago with principal Terry Jutizi and vice-principal Wendy Brum at the helm and has been going strong ever since. Students, staff and community members at Laurelwood Public School in Waterloo brought in items or contributed financially to online donations through the "slice of nice" to support agencies in the region that are in great need. Staff delivered the items to the agencies. (Photo provided by Waterloo Region District School Board)
Twelve Grade 7 students from St. Michael Catholic School in Guelph baked and donated over 300 cookies for Wyndham House youth residents through their Bake Their Day program. (Photo provided by: Wellington Catholic District School Board)
St. Andrew’s Public School opened a Holiday Store, which evolved to meet public health guidelines and ensure our students were safe while getting in the spirit of giving. The students learn the importance of giving, recycling and reusing items, rather than throwing them away as well as the economic benefits of shopping second-hand. All the funds raised through the sale go right back into supporting students at the school. (Photo provided by: Waterloo Region District School Board)
The students at St. Ignatius Catholic School in Guelph held 12 Days of Giving to benefit the Salvation Army. The school held a competition to see which class could bring in the most over the 12 days. 'The first day we collected 150 deodorants. The second day we exceeded 300 tubes of toothpaste,' said vice principal Michelle Nagy. (Max Manuel/Photo provided by Wellington Catholic District School Board)
The St. Michael Catholic School students also participated in a 12 Days of Giving campaign for Salvation Army. (Photo provided by: Wellington Catholic District School Board)
The Leadership Team (select Grade 5 and 6 students) at Preston Public School held a food drive that went on for two weeks. Students donated food for the Cambridge Fire Department’s Christmas Basket Fund to pick up and deliver to the Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank. Some leadership team members made posters and put them up around the school to let other people know about the food drive. (Photo provided by Waterloo Region District School Board)
Grade 3 students St. Paul Catholic School organized a Mitten Tree in support of local schools and organizations in need around Guelph. (Photo provided by: Wellington Catholic District School Board)
CBC K-W's annual Sounds of the Season campaign raises food and funds for The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
