Hillfield Strathallan College Celebrates the Season by Giving

Community service and charitable fundraising are long standing traditions at HSC. Tied to the College’s Vision to inspire students to reach their full potential and to better the world around them, these endeavours play a key role in fulfilling that vision. Read on to learn more about the fundraising activities of our students – they will inspire you!

The Montessori, Junior and Senior Schools all participated in toy drives this year. The Montessori toy drive is in support of Wesley Urban Ministries. Wesley Urban Ministries works with the poor, the marginalized and those who are lost and alone. Rather than simply providing quick hand-outs which serve only to address immediate needs, Wesley Urban provides people of all ages with a ‘hand-up’ so that they can break the cycle of poverty and achieve a real measure of success.

 In keeping with the Montessori philosophical tenets of respect for others and an awareness of the interdependency of our world, the Montessori faculty is supporting the Salvation Army and their “Giving Hope” campaign.  

The Junior School toy drive will support the Neighbour to Neighbour Centre. The Centre improves the ability of residents within the greater Hamilton area to be self-sufficient and enhance the quality of their life through programs and services in the areas of employment, family support and skills development.

Once again, the Junior School operated their annual “Winter Clothing Drive” in support of the Eva Rothwell Resource Centre. The resource Center is a place to learn, to socialize, to look for a job, to see a doctor or police officer, to turn to for start-up furniture, warm clothes, or emergency food -- all of it free of charge.

The Junior School students also created holiday cards for our Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan.  Enclosed in each of the cards will be a gift certificate from Tim Hortons, courtesy of our generous HSC families. This was a very successful project last year and well received by our deserving soldiers.

The Middle School students and faculty have undertaken an ambitious project this holiday season. Middle School Christmas fundraising activities were organized by members of the Community Committee under the guidance of Mrs. Burrows. This year’s efforts are in support of St. Matthew’s House ‘Adopt a Family’ Christmas program.

Each grade level was encouraged to work as a team and to concentrate on the following areas of need: Grade 5s - toy drive, Grade 6s - pyjama drive, Grade 7s - hat and mitt drive and Grade 8s - socks, toiletries and books. Large boxes wrapped in Christmas paper were placed in each classroom to collect the donations. To support this initiative the students also held two very successful and yummy bake sales in early December. In total, over the two days, $800.32 was raised.

In addition, the Human Development Committee is organizing the sale of Fair Trade Organic Holiday Gift Bags.  These bags contain coffee, hot chocolate mix, and chocolate bars - all Fair Trade and organic, of course. This is an awareness campaign focused on educating students about Fair Trade products and how we can support farmers in third-world countries by purchasing Fair Trade products.

At the Grades 7 and 8 Christmas Dance, the House Captains will be selling pop and chips in support of Neighbour to Neighbour for the purchase of perishable foods for their food bank. 

The Senior School participated in the Adopt-A-Family program in support of St. Matthew’s House. Tutorial groups were each given a family to adopt for Christmas. The efforts of the Senior School students and faculty will support 28 families and 72 children this holiday season.

Students shopped for presents for each member of the family, as well as a gift certificate to a supermarket so the family can get Christmas dinner, Christmas candies and crackers and a card for the family;. They then wrapped everything into a laundry hamper to be delivered to St. Matthew’s House, who in turn distribute the hamper to each family before Christmas.

St. Matthew’s House is a charitable, non-profit, multi-service agency that serves the needs of families, children, youth, seniors and individuals living in poverty as well as children with special needs, and their families, through a variety of services and programs provided in a flexible, and non-threatening manner.

Well done all.