Youngsters in Black Diamond are the ones putting presents beneath Christmas trees this month.
Students at C. Ian McLaren School are placing non-perishable food items at the bottom of eight mock Christmas trees in their hallways in the school’s new Giving Trees program to donate to those in need through the Oilfields Food Bank Christmas hamper program.
The initiative began Dec. 2 and goes to Dec. 20 when students break for the holidays.
“Part of the Grade 3 curriculum is learning about quality of life,” said Grade 3 teacher Emily Baranyay. “We started looking at the basic needs of people in the world and one of those is food. We started looking at how some people, even in our community, don’t have those basic needs met. The kids came up with the idea that we need to make sure that those people have enough food.”
Baranyay said students created posters and spread the word, getting the whole school involved. They surpassed their goal of collecting 500 food items last week.
“It was a small idea that turned into something big,” Baranyay said. “It really took off.”
Students also set up collections at Country Food Mart AG Foods and Pharmasave to get the community involved.
“We really tried to engage the community, that’s really been part of it,” said Baranyay. “It’s nice if you’re sending things across seas, but we’re really working to help our community. There’s a lot of need everywhere.”
For Grade 3 student Elise Neely, giving back to those in need is very important this time of year.
“It makes me feel joyful and really excited to know that families will be getting enough food, especially over the holidays,” she said. “They should get enough food without spending all their money on it.”
The youngster and her family donated soup, Hamburger Helper, peanut butter and other food items for the cause, which will help contribute to the school feeding more than 10 families Christmas dinner this month. Neely said it wasn’t her first time donating to the food bank and she hopes it won’t be her last.
“It would be a nice tradition to start because then we give some families some food,” she said of the Giving Trees program.
Baranyay said her students have taken ownership of the project, while she lent ideas and provided guidance where needed.
“Every day they’re counting food that’s coming in,” she said. “It’s becoming a part of our day at CIM. It’s in the hallways on display so everyone can see it growing. It’s been very rewarding for them.”
To help raise additional funds, principal Stacey Swanson donated a basket of candy she won at a hockey game, encouraging students, staff and their families to buy 25-cent raffle tickets for a chance to win the candy at the end of the week. More than $300 was raised by Monday.
The Giving Trees program was implemented after Baranyay asked Erin Hryniuk to present to her students about the importance of giving back. Hryniuk opened a thrift store in Black Diamond last month to raise money to open a Christian Gleaners facility in Calgary that will make dried soup mixes to be distributed worldwide by charitable organizations.
“I asked Erin to talk to the class about what she’s doing,” said Baranyay. “I though how powerful would it be for the students to learn about what she’s doing.”
Hryniuk said she suggested that rather than talk to the students they brainstorm a way to get students engaged in a giving project of their own.
“I said, ‘If we can get them engaged in something it’s more important that they get involved because they will remember it,’” said Hryniuk. “It’s teaching them to give back and be kind.”
Hryniuk said she’s collected $750 for the Giving Trees project, and will use the money to purchase food to donate to the initiative.
“It’s just unbelievable what they’re doing,” she said of the students. “How wonderful when they see what they’ve done and the accomplishment of going out and lobbying and collecting food and to know it’s going to go to people in need.”
The students will sort, pack and help transport the food later this week.
Anyone wanting to contribution to Giving Trees is encouraged to donate non-perishable food items at Pharmasave or AG Foods.
