The Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools district doesn’t just wait until Christmas to open its heart and send love and compassion — along with a lot of fundraising dollars — to people and places that need it. If you live in Central America but you can’t go to school because you don’t have enough school supplies, they’ve got your back.
The district recently wrapped up a lengthy international community service project to provide backpacks filled with school supplies for children in Chicamán, Guatemala. The end result was almost 2,000 backpacks and more than $4,500, all of which is now in transit to the small city where education is free but most people can’t afford to buy pencils and paper.
All of this generosity greatly pleases David Keohane, the district’s superintendent. He sees how everyone pulls together to reinforce concepts of social justice to make the world a better place, not just at Christmas but all year round.
“The overwhelming evidence would suggest that our schools are extremely dedicated at this time of year to demonstrate how our Christian philosophy – which is about establishing a preferential option for the poor, for the lost, for those who experience a lack of justice – to be part of the focus of our schools.”
He added it is particularly heartening to see these efforts extended during the holiday season.
“Christmas is a time when we welcome Christ into the world and we’re mindful of that by emulating his service into our contemporary projects and through the broad array of ones that you see at our schools.”
• Albert Lacombe (K-6): The school raised $2,382 for its annual Fill-a-Manger campaign to purchase farm animals in developing countries through Canadian Food for the Hungry. A Pose with Santa event helped bring in 147 kilograms of non-perishable food for the St. Albert Food Bank.
• Bertha Kennedy (K-6): The school received tremendous support from the community as it focused on contributing as many supplies and backpacks as possible for the Guatemala backpack project this fall.
• Ă©cole Father Jan (K-6): Students are still busy decorating bags for the inmates of the Edmonton Remand Centre and the St. Vincent de Paul Society to benefit those struggling with poverty. Other humanitarian projects have found some students either raising funds to purchase malaria nets for the Red Cross and donating loonies and toonies to wear hats to support the flood victims in Pakistan.
• Ă©cole Marie Poburan (K-6): The Hands of Hope campaign is under way with non-perishable food items and monetary donations being collected to support its multilingual sister school, Sifton School in Edmonton, with its different food programs like Breakfast for Learning Alberta and Food for Thought.
• J.J. Nearing (K-6): The school contributed many supplies and backpacks for the Guatemala backpack project this fall and received tremendous support from students, staff and families.
• Neil M. Ross (K-6): The school has a Mitten, Hat and Scarf Tree initiative to warm the hearts and hands of those in need this Christmas. Staff members also provided shoebox gifts to St. Albert seniors in need. Families are also providing shoeboxes filled with toiletries, supplies and gifts for Edmonton’s inner city students at John A. McDougall School.
• Vital Grandin (K-6): The school is busy collecting winter clothing for the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
• V.J. Maloney (Grades 7 to 9): recently completed its drive for the St. Albert Food Bank and raised $2,800 for the Terry Fox Run. Staff and students are now fundraising for the Youth Emergency Shelter Society and Campaign of Hope by hosting bake sales and candy cane sales.
• Ă©cole Secondaire Ste. Marguerite d’Youville (Grades 7 to 12): The annual drive for the St. Albert Food Bank runs until Friday and the L’Arbre des Miracles fundraiser encourages students and families to donate mittens, scarves, hats and coats to the less fortunate in the community.
• Richard S. Fowler (Grades 7 to 9): The school has three projects under way this Advent season, including decorating food bags for the St. Vincent de Paul Society, a food hamper drive for Sidekicks Mentoring and the Christmas Bag decorating project for inmates at the remand centre.
• St. Albert Catholic High School (Grades 10 to 12): The Give a Damn Club is running the Fair Trade Coffeehouse to support charity. The school collected enough items to provide 24 hampers for the Kinettes’ Christmas Hamper program. Many students are volunteering at the Marian Centre to feed the homeless this month.
• Georges P. Vanier (K-5): The school brought in 445 kg of food to help the Fill-a-Bus campaign to benefit the Morinville Food Bank and the Morinville Knights of Columbus Christmas hampers initiative.
• Notre Dame (K-5): The school recently held two drives, including the Fill-a-Bus campaign and a Pennies from Heaven event that collected 57,000 pennies to purchase toys in support of the Morinville Knights of Columbus Christmas hampers. A garage sale brought in more than $700 for the Stollery Children’s Hospital and SPCA.
• Georges H. Primeau (Grades 6 to 8): The school supported the Peace and Development initiative by committing to reduce their bottled water usage and hosted a Wake-a-Thon later in the school year to raise funds for this organization. Toonies for Teens is under way to collect funds to provide Christmas gift cards for local teens in need.
• Morinville Community High School (Grades 9 to 12): Students have several ongoing initiatives including collecting for Coats for Kids, Santas Anonymous and the Morinville Food Bank. Graduating students are fundraising for Kids with Cancer.
• Legal School (K-9): The school continues to run its no-lunch program to ensure all students come to school with lunch. Staff and students have also been collecting both warm outdoor clothing for those in need in the local community and food for the Morinville Food Bank.
• St. Gabriel Storefront Outreach (Grades 7 to 12): Students and staff collected funds to purchase gifts of hope for developing countries. Chickens and mango trees were some of the items purchased. Their Christmas Food Hamper Drive is under way to support local families.
• Division Office: Staff are collecting items for the St. Albert Food Bank. Throughout the division, staff members are supporting Catholic Social Services Sign of Hope campaign with monetary donations.
