THUNDER BAY -- Laura Hardie thinks she’s on her way to knowing the true meaning of Christmas.
The Grade 5 student from St. Elizabeth School joined her class Thursday morning at Westfort Foods to buy groceries to be delivered to Shelter House.
The Grade 5/6 class held a yard sale in November along with a bake sale and a raffle and raised $1,200 to purchase the food.
“We came here to spend it,” said Hardie. “Afterwards, we’re going to get on the bus and we’re going to Shelter House to stock the shelves there.”
“It’s a very good thing for giving and the people at Shelter House, they don’t really have a home there, so it’s good to make their life better than it is,” Hardie said.
Shelter House supplied the students with lists of items like canned soup, peanut butter, margarine and laundry detergent that are needed at the George Street shelter.
Hardie wasn’t the only one finding the true spirit of the holidays.
Elizabeth Brock, 11, also learned the importance of giving back to the community.
“It makes me feel kind of great that I’m helping other people,” said the Grade 6 student.
And Piper Ennew said it’s important to give at this time of year and learn not to take for granted the things they have that others might not.
“We’re helping people in the community that don’t have as much as we do,” said the 11-year-old.
Teacher Peter Cameron said this event is a tradition that dates back 20 years in St. Elizabeth School.
“It’s all about giving, teaching the kids the true meaning of Christmas, which to us is giving and giving of themselves for other people,” said Cameron.
For most of the students, it’s often the best day of the school year. They know the tradition and there is a lot of excitement.
It’s donations like this that allow Shelter House to serve about 550 meals every day. They collect more than 20 tons of food per year through donations.
“They’re critical,” said Shelter House executive director Patty Hajdu. “Without the help of the community, that wouldn’t be feasible.”
“It’s really through events like this and through organizations and groups that work together to also cook and prepare the food that we’re able to continue to offer this level of food access,” she said.
