SD35 Days of Giving
December 17, 2021
Rows of grocery bags and stacks of boxes filled the undercover area behind the school at Langley Fundamental Elementary one Friday afternoon in December. Members of the PAC and other parent volunteers were working away like ‘elves in the North Pole’, sorting and packing hampers for families in need in Langley. The flurry of activity has become an annual initiative for the school according to principal Deah Paton.
“Each division takes on a family and our families bring in pantry goods, garner donations from local businesses, and buy gifts and gift cards for families,” explains Paton.
“Each family that we help receives a couple hundred dollars [worth of gifts and gift cards]. Something we have done for several years and has become a tradition at Langley Fundamental Elementary,” she adds.
Paton, like many in our community, have witnessed the challenges faced in our community due to the COVID-19 pandemic and regional flooding, which has prompted people to want to help.
“Even just thinking of the floods, it’s such a recent thing, how important it is to give! This community is the most caring community you could ever be around. It’s the most giving and generous community!” says Paton.
Paton says the hamper initiative also meets the school’s goal of teaching students about the character traits: kindness, responsibility, and grit.
“The kids decided on those as goals that we would work on. This really shows that kindness and compassion. People have tough times but pulling together and digging deep to help each other and to give, and that is what it’s all about,” she explains.
Langley Fundamental Elementary is not the only school taking time and energy to give back to the community. Schools across the District have spent the month of December supporting on their own initiatives.
Brookswood Secondary students have raised funds and collected gift cards to help those in the Abbotsford School District community who have been impacted by recent flooding. Gordon Greenwood Elementary students have also raised money in support of the Canadian Red Cross flood response.
The Lynn Fripps Elementary community has collected food items to donate to the Langley Food Bank. The North Otter Elementary community has encouraged donations of personal and bathroom items as part of their “toilet-tree” campaign, supporting the Lookout Housing and Health Society.
These are just a few examples of the District’s value of community in action. The District is proud of all the work undertaken by students, staff, and families. To help highlight these projects, you’ll find a photo gallery and posts shared on District social media with #SD35DaysofGiving.