Four charitable ladies visited Parkside Elementary in Aldergrove on Friday morning, April 9, to donate a trunk load of snacks and gift cards to the school.
The team was organized through the Zoe Leadership Program at Living Waters Church – encouraging them to make a difference in the community.
Marsha Wilson, one of the women delivering the donation, said it was made in response to a need at the school that has occurred during the pandemic.
“The school team has not been able to offer their breakfast/lunch program for some time. Many of the students rely on these programs to meet their nutritional needs,” Wilson said.
Susan Cairns from the Langley School District Foundation and principal Cathy Gracie were on hand Friday morning to accept the donations – an array of chips, candy, gift cards, and health snacks, as well as a Parkside-themed cake for the staff members to enjoy.
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Wilson laughed because the delivery marked the first time all four women had met each other in person – their meetings had been previously held on Zoom.
“You know the old expression, ‘somebody ought to do something,’ four of us had been taking a course in leadership and were asked to create a service-learning project that would help our community,” Wilson explained. “We wanted to be good neighbours and so got busy and decided to ‘do something’.”
In a few short weeks, Wilson said the group raised $1,250 in cash donations, gift cards, and products through gifts from local business owners and citizens.
“I would go and get my hair done and tell my hairdresser what we were doing and by the end she was contributing forty dollars,” she recalled.
Fresh-co, Save-On Foods, Saba Restaurant, Dewaal Brothers, Paz Fuels and Marketplace, Jesse Bregg Real Estate Agent, Best Value Plus and Ralph’s Fruit Market were just some of the organizations and businesses that donated.
Principal Gracie was very thankful for the donation and said the food would help further the school’s family-oriented environment and help alleviate some of the burden that parents feel when it comes to making sure their children are well-fed.
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