Some filled shoeboxes with toiletries and toys for the needy half-way around the world, while others collected food and socks for those facing challenges closer to home. What they have in common is they are all Palliser Regional Schools’ students and staff and their first thoughts this Christmas were not of themselves, but of others.
At Arrowwood School, they put on a hot lunch with the proceeds – $132.75 – going to Alberta Children’s Hospital. Staff and students were also encouraged to wear flip-flops to school Dec. 4 to raise money to buy footwear for children in India slums.
At Picture Butte High School, the ‘Class of 2016’ donated a dozen poinsettia plans to the community "Meals on Wheels" campaign to seniors to include with their December meal delivery.
The school did a food bank drive with classes competing to see which grade could bring in the most food. The school’s Achieve program ran a Christmas shoebox campaign with 47 boxes filled for the needy.
School Council at PBHS also ran a winter clothing swap with students bringing in good, barely-used clothing. A store was created so other students could visit and take items they wanted.
Milo School collected donations for the food bank as admission to their Christmas concert. Also during the month of December the Grade 1-2-3 class collected money for Samaritan's Purse to purchase a sheep or goat for a family overseas.
Dorothy Dalgliesh School collected more than 100 shoe boxes filled with gifts for Operation Christmas Child, making the season a little more special for children living in war, poverty and disaster.
The school also gathered 267 pairs of new socks in all sizes, colours and designs through the” Sock it To 'Em” campaign. In addition, families from Dorothy Dalgliesh School donated cart loads of food for the local North County Interfaith Outreach Society to help fill Christmas hampers.
Each Christmas students head out into the community to share the spirit of Christmas and generosity with handmade Christmas decorations packaged in a decorated gift bag. Students delivered the gifts to residents in their community.
Students at Champion School host a bottle drive every year to raise money for the food bank. After the money for the bottles has been received – roughly $930 – the students who participated went to Vulcan to personally purchase and deliver the items to the food bank. They also held a family dance and collected food for the food bank.
At Menno Simons Christian School the Division II students collected more than $600 for a family of refugees that arrived in the Calgary airport on Dec. 16, with one young student withdrawing a significant amount of money from her own bank account to donate.
The Calgary school also held its annual Samaritan’s Purse project.
Students at Heritage Christian Academy collected more than 500 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. The high school students also collected, organized and delivered a truckload of Christmas hampers to the Salvation Army for distribution to Calgary families in need.
At Calgary Christian Secondary School a student volunteer committee came up with the idea of having a Giving Tree. Different coloured angels were created to represent different agencies that require help and students were encouraged to take an angel off the tree and bring back a gift for that person/organization. The organizations this year included the Mustard Seed, the Drop-In Centre and the Magic of Christmas.
The school also did a food drive for the Calgary Food Bank.
Christmas Charity
