The St. Charles Annual Giving Campaign:
Spreading Joy and Kindness
by Patricia Aldred, Community and Personal Development Animator
The spirit of giving was alive and well at St. Charles Elementary this holiday season during our annual Giving Campaign! Students, staff, and families came together to collect non-perishable food, gifts, and monetary donations to support local families in need.
This year, we were proud to partner once again with Elves Filling Shelves, a remarkable local charity dedicated to helping families across our community. The organization was founded by our very own Grade 3 teacher, Mme. Westlake, who works tirelessly each year to ensure children and families experience a brighter holiday season.
A particularly heartwarming contribution came from Grade 3 student Alyssa, who chose to spend her birthday doing something meaningful. Wanting to help others, she organized a strawberry-themed fundraiser—strawberries being her favorite fruit. Alyssa and her friends prepared fresh strawberries in glass jars, decorated them with ribbons and creative embellishments, and went door to door in her neighbourhood. The jars were shared in exchange for donations, all of which were contributed directly to the school’s Giving Campaign. Reflecting her generous spirit, Alyssa made sure to give a shout-out to her friends who helped make it happen. Congratulations to Alyssa—and to all St. Charles students who contributed to her birthday project!
Back at school, Grade 6 students spent an entire morning sorting and categorizing all the donations. They then formed an assembly line to load the generous contributions into a caravan of vehicles, which arrived with Mme. Westlake’s father, Mr. Westlake, and his friends, ensuring everything was delivered safely and efficiently to Elves Filling Shelves.
Grade 6 students work together and form an assembly line to load donations for Elves Filling Shelves.
Thanks to the generosity of our students, families, and staff, our Giving Campaign was once again a tremendous success. We are grateful to Mme. Westlake and Elves Filling Shelves for their unwavering dedication to supporting families across the community—and to every student and family who helped spread kindness this holiday season.
