Hannah MacDonald (L) and Madelyn Kent (R) pose with two of 450 care packages to help those in need of support during the winter holidays (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

Everybody Deserves a Smile

Nanaimo students pull off large care package collection effort

Dec 19, 2024 | 12:07 PM

NANAIMO — An elementary school gym transformed into a packaging assembly line to help those in the region in need of a boost over the winter holidays.

Hosted by École Hammond Bay Elementary School, 450 hand-decorated bags containing gloves, a scarf, toiletries and home-baked sugar cookies were sorted and packed on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at the north Nanaimo French Immersion school.

The packages will be delivered to eight Nanaimo and Parksville social service agencies on Thursday.

École Hammond Bay grade 6/7 teacher Alyssa Shore coordinated the Everybody Deserves a Smile (EDAS) effort, stating the several weeks-long cause spurred school-wide discussions regarding community service.

Students hand-decorated bags to cheer up EDAS program recipients (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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“It helps students really think about who’s in my community, who needs help in my community and what can I do to help my community,” Shore told NanaimoNewsNOW.

On top of donations collected within the École Hammond Bay community, Randerson, Rock City and Seaview schools also assisted with donation collection and bag decoration tasks, Shore noted.

She said it has been rewarding to see school-based discussions about kindness equate to results.

“I think that’s a really easy thing to talk about at school, but when we think about putting it into action that’s when it really starts to resonate with students.”

Hannah MacDonald is a sixth grade École Hammond Bay student.

She said it took plenty of work and coordination within the school to make this campaign a successful.

“I’ve never personally been on the receiving end of one of these, but I have also seen the impact that it has given to people, so I know that I am packing little bags of happiness,” MacDonald said.

Being in a privileged position enabled seventh grade student Madeline Kent and others to elevate others requiring support this time of year.

“It makes you feel really good because it feels like every time you make a care package, you’re helping somebody in the community,” Kent said.

Several tables in the École Hammond Bay gym were set up to help sort various items for the EDAS care packages. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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