Throughout the past months, St. Charles District 303 has made a strong effort in providing help to families in need around the community. With the holiday season approaching, local volunteers district-wide have set up numerous fundraisers, allowing local families to experience the comfort of the holiday season.
During the month of November, Dr. Paul Gordon, the superintendent of D303, sent out a video to students and staff districtwide, encouraging them to bring in non-perishable items to any district office or school to give back to local families in the area. The St. Charles Public Library teamed up with D303 and became a collection centre, as well as a distribution area, giving donors an alternate way of dropping off donations even if they didn’t have a student in D303 schools. After hundreds of donations, families were able to access the help they needed in providing food for their family members.
November also hosted the 20th annual John Baird Turkey Drive at St. Charles East, a fundraiser aimed at providing holiday meals to families in need. The drive, organized by local community members, collected donations of turkeys and other Thanksgiving food items to ensure that local families could have the experience of a comforting Thanksgiving meal. East’s own leadership studies students also pitched in, packaging and delivering meals to homes.
This month, East partnered with the Salvation Army to help support their Angel Tree campaign. Angel Tree, a holiday assistance program, helps provide Christmas gifts to the families of children and elders who may not be able to afford gifts due to financial hardship. An angel tree was featured in East’s student life office, which carried tags of angel tree recipients explaining their needs and wants that students and staff could claim. With donors from around the school, many children in the community will be given the joy of opening Christmas presents with their families as the holiday approaches.
The district also accepted RSVPs to snack bag decorating earlier this month. The snack bags included non-perishable, nut-free snacks for students to enjoy, with words of encouragement attached to each one. The bags are set to be delivered to students on Dec. 10, just in time for the holidays.
With support from people and businesses all over the community, D303 was able to provide help to many community members in need. Families citywide were able to experience the joy of the holiday season while also getting a sense of relief.
