Holy Trinity Catholic School Division has ensured 15 extra families will have a fulfilling and nourishing Christmas this year after purchasing hampers with support from two community organizations.
School division administrators gathered at the board office with representatives from Moose Jaw Co-op and Hub Meats on Dec. 18 to celebrate the donations received for this new initiative.
Hub Meats contributed 15 hams, while Co-op provided a $500 grocery gift card, which the division used to purchase the food necessary to create a meal, such as oranges, potatoes, bread, cereal and rice. The hampers will then be distributed to families identified through the schools.
“It’s nice to give something back (to) people in need,” said Bryce Downey, manager of Hub Meats.
Division administrators launched this initiative since they saw a large need in their school communities — especially at this time of year — and decided to do something about it, explained Gerry Turcotte, a teacher with the division who spearheaded the project. What was great is the Co-op and Hub Meats stepped up to provide the additional food for the hampers.
Some schools were already putting together hampers, while both Catholic parishes were also contributing, but the division asked if there were additional needs that could be met. It was identified that 15 extra hampers would support all the Catholic schools in Moose Jaw.
“We had a gap and we wanted to address it,” Turcotte added.
One school that will receive a couple of extra hampers is Phoenix Academy, which saw that some of its students and their families that could use extra support during the holidays, said education director Sean Chase. The school’s principal was thrilled with the acts of generosity displayed by the Co-op and Hub Meats.
“I think (the donations are) incredible. I think it’s just an absolutely incredible example of the community here listening to us and (the) schools put forward a pitch where we’re trying to do something beyond academics to help our families,” Chase said.
School staff have a direct look into the struggles of some households based on the students in their classrooms, he continued. Teachers and principals used their intuition, insight and developed relationships to determine which students were most in need and could use additional support with a Christmas hamper.
“It’s a great news story for us,” he added.
Two particular groups the division supports — and that a school identified — are single moms and new immigrants, although there is a wide cross-section of people the division helps overall, said Turcotte.
All the support going toward building Christmas hampers shows this is a complete community effort, added Chase. Since some students use the schools’ breakfast and lunch programs regularly, and because a two-week Christmas break can be difficult for many families, these hampers will go a long way.
