Two Guelph elementary schools have joined forces to help out those in need while learning a new skill for their second annual Social Justice Day.
After months of preparation, Grade 8 students from Holy Trinity Catholic School met with Grade 3 and 4 students from St. John Catholic School on Wednesday to fill around 150 care packages, which will be donated to Royal City Mission.
The packages include donated items they've been collecting, like toothpaste, toothbrushes, hygiene products and warm clothes, as well as 210 knitted hats and scarves, many of which were made by the students themselves; they will also include cards and baked goods made by the students.
In October, St. John held a fundraiser to raise money for baking ingredients and the ingredients for a pasta dinner, which faculty and students will serve at Royal City Mission this week.
Last year, the two schools filled more than 150 backpacks and made enough food to feed 150 people at Royal City Mission. But this year, they wanted to add a more personal touch.
So since September, the students have been learning to knit hats and scarves with a loom.
“It was a learning process for everybody. But they loved it,” said Tyler Parkinson, a teacher at St. John who helped spearhead the project. “I think that knowing where these items were going was a big driving force for us.”
“They love the idea that they are now able to knit these on their own and donate,” he said.
“I’m really proud of them,” said Alijha Girgis-Tweedle, another teacher at St. John involved in the project.
The idea started with her nephew, who asked her mom to help teach him how to knit.
“She got him these looms and he whipped it up no problem,” she said “And I thought, well, he’s in Grade 2 and he can do it, so our kids can do it.”
She started by bringing in a four pack of looms for Grade 3 and 4 students, and the interest quickly grew from there, with Grade 5 and 6 students wanting to learn.
“And the next thing you know, teachers were asking for (them) and we’re going from class to class teaching it, so now the little kids are teaching the older kids how to knit.”
More and more people became involved, from staff to community members, donating their knitted pieces, and spurring a knitting club at St. John.
The students from both schools even created their own brand, Wild Hurricane Heart. Next year they hope to create labels to add to each of the handmade items to send out to the community “so they know children care,” she said.
Although social justice day is over, Parkinson said they intend to keep on knitting and donating pieces throughout the year, since everyone loved it so much.
“It’s just grown, and I want it to continue growing,” Girgis-Tweedle said, adding that they hope to learn to knit socks or mittens next year.
