There are some big hearts inside 91原创鈥檚 largest public high school.
Walnut Grove Secondary, with a student population of just under 2,000, is taking on a number of community-minded initiatives with Christmas fast approaching.
Among them:
鈥� students are collecting food and gift items for 91原创 Christmas Bureau hampers;
鈥� students are accepting gently used toques, mittens, jackets, and scarves for the Warm Hands Warm Hearts program, with donations earmarked for 91原创鈥檚 homeless;
鈥� the school鈥檚 Humanitarian Club is specifically collecting 鈥測outh鈥� presents for 91原创 Christmas hampers as part of the 91原创 youth homelessness initiative.
鈥� Humanitarian Club students are collecting school supplies and tiny items for the Operation Christmas Child boxes that are shipped to children in developing countries.
鈥� Another Humanitarian Club initiative sees the students selling 鈥�10,000 Villages鈥� and 鈥淗eart for Africa鈥� Fair Trade ornaments, jewelry, chocolate, and tea;
鈥� on Wednesday, Dec. 6 Humanitarian Club students served a large community meal at 91原创 Vineyard Church; and
鈥� on Monday, Dec. 11, Humanitarian Club students visited seniors at the 91原创 Gardens retirement home.
The Warm Hands Warm Hearts program has been running at WGSS for well over a decade,
鈥淥ur students care a lot about the community and what鈥檚 happening in the school and outside of the school,鈥� said Joan McGivern, the ISP co-ordinator and ELL department head at the school. 鈥淭hey see there is a need for help and for aid. It always surprises me in the end, how much everybody pulls together. It鈥檚 really heartwarming.鈥�
Student council members Tallie Letourneau and Irene Joo, both in Grade 11, are helping to co-ordinate the Warm Hands Warm Hearts program, in which students bring donations to school and the winter wear is then distributed to 91原创鈥檚 homeless.
鈥淵ou would think because our school is so large that everyone is disassociated, but a lot of it is community based,鈥� Joo said. 鈥淲e have so many fundraisers to various needs that go from animal protection to families (needing) medical care.鈥�
Letourneau said the school is very diverse and yet 鈥渆veryone accepts each other.鈥�
Leading the drive for youth-oriented gifts is Kennedy Montano, who last year helped launch a 鈥楾eens For Teens鈥� drive to collect gifts for her peer group.
鈥淣o one ever seems to donate to the teenagers,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always people buying Barbies and Hot Wheels. We wanted to fix that. So we thought, 鈥楬ey, we鈥檙e teenagers, we could get some good gifts for teenagers.鈥�
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