December 17th, 2019
Students and community members alike flocked to the third annual Holiday Store at St. Andrew’s Public School in Cambridge in early December. The pop-up store repurposes donations of new and gently used toys, clothing, and holiday decorations and offers them up for sale, at prices less than $3.00, to students and members of the community.
Danielle Ayotte, a teacher at the school, helped to organize the event and explained that the aim of the store is to create an opportunity for students to appreciate the importance and value of giving, rather than receiving.
“The goal of the store is to encourage the students to give, first and foremost,” said Ayotte.
Additionally, the students learn the importance of recycling and reusing items, rather than throwing them away as well as the economic benefits of shopping second-hand.
Work begins long before the store opens to students and the public. Ayotte and her fellow staff begin by seeking donations from the community. The response was more than she expected.
“I would come home and there were boxes of donations on my doorstep,” said Ayotte. “So many people are so generous.”
The donations are the “gift that keeps on giving,” Ayotte explained, as any unsold items are donated to AR Kaufman Public School, for their Snowflake Bazaar, a similar event that offers gently used items for sale.
The event has grown exponentially over the past three years, and was open to the public for the first time this year.
“I was a little worried that people wouldn’t come,” said Ayotte, but she didn’t have much reason to worry. “It was a huge success.”
All the funds raised through the sale go right back into supporting students at the school. This year, they are helping to support grade 7 and 8 students with their celebratory, year-end activities.
Joanne Cortina, library clerk at St. Andrews, was involved with the first Holiday Store, and explained that the event started with school council looking to provide an opportunity for students to experience the act of giving. It started small, with the first event hosted in the library, but soon exploded, with the community quick to rally behind the event.
The event also promotes volunteerism amongst the students, Ayotte explained. From sorting donations, to organizing the items on display, students had a chance to donate their time on nutrition breaks to help with the event.
Avery, a grade 7 student at St. Andrews, was volunteering to help wrap gifts, and explained that she was focused on wrapping items quickly, but neatly. For her, it was about giving back, and helping others to give.
“Just get into the act of giving, it’s more about giving than receiving,” said Avery.
This sentiment was echoed by Peyton, a fellow grade 7 student, who explained that she was focusing on making purchases with giving in mind, rather than receiving.
“It’s about giving back to the community and when you’re purchasing things, think of other people,” said Peyton.
Ella and Graham, both in grade 7, explained their role in the preparation process, including the creation of posters and presentations to inform the school and surrounding community about the Holiday Store.
“I was surprised how many donations we got,” he said. “The community is really willing to give.”
The purpose of the event was perfectly summed up by Maeve, a grade 7 student who volunteered for the sale.
“It’s really nice to know that you’re helping other people,” said Maeve.
As they worked to pack up the unsold items, Ayotte took a moment to reflect on what they had accomplished this year. Apart from the money raised, for her, the true reward is seeing the excitement in students, eager to give their carefully selected gifts to friends and family.
“It’s extremely rewarding,” said Ayotte. “It just feels really good.”
A Time of Giving in the WRDSB
As we count down to the winter break, we are highlighting just a few of the generous acts of kindness our staff and students are modelling. From students collecting socks for the less fortunate, to kindergarteners serenading seniors, these are just a few of the amazing things happening across our board at this time of year.
You can check out all of the great acts of giving in our schools (they happen all year round!) by following us on social media and using the hashtag #WRDSBgives.