Constables Michael Sortino and Heather McCallum were outside Wal-Mart last month collecting contributions to Toys for Tots. Similar efforts went on at Canadian Tire. By Bill Rea

The holidays traditionally represent a time for giving, and the Caledon community obviously kept that tradition thriving over the last several weeks.

Caledon Community Services (CCS) were the recipients of much of this bounty, with many contributions of food, money and toys to the annual Santa Fund, which supports local families in need at the time of the holidays.

And all indications are it was another successful year.

“Things went really well,” commented Michelle Stubbs, manager of volunteerism and community relations for CCS. “As always, the community was extremely generous in their donations of toys and food.”

The contributions packed the Presdents Building at the Bolton Fair Grounds, which was once again used as a depot for the effort.

Palgrave Public School was among the local schools that stepped up to help cram police cruisers. “At the warehouse, everything went great,” she commented, praising more than 40 volunteers who really helped.

Stubbs commented that as of early last week, about 175 individuals and families had received help (representing roughly 300 children), but CCS still needs money to help run it’s your-’round programs.

Numerous local businesses stepped up and made contributions to the charitable efforts, along with the churches and schools.

Caledon OPP helped some of the schools out through the Cram the Cruiser program, in which kids loaded up police cars with food items they collected.

“We collected 20 carloads of food from participating schools,” Constable Jonathan Beckett, Caledon OPP media officer, declared.

“The students are the ones who do all the hard work,” he added. “We don’t collect any of the food. It’s the kids who do most of the work.”

As well, police were involved in the Toys for Tots program, collecting contributions from the Canadian Tire and Wal-mart stores in Bolton.

“That was fantastic,” he remarked, pointing out his Bolton office was piled with toys from Wal-mart, with a similarly large pile from Canadian Tire as well.

As well, police collected about $400.

Beckett said all of these contributions will be going to CCS.

“We’re just happy to be able to do our little part,” he said.

Several of the local schools helped cram the cruisers, but the young people and their teachers often found some other worthy causes to support.

In some cases, the supports were focused on the school community, while others went farther afield.

The community at Belfountain Public School found a family, consisting of a single mom and five kids to help out.

“We have half an office full of things for this family,” commented Office Manager Renee Thomas. “They’re going to be in for a big surprise.”

She added they were equipped with a wish list for this family, and the community response was “amazing.”

Students and staff at Caledon East Public School held fund-raising efforts to collect food tags and clothing to be distributed in the community, reported Grade 8 student Kai Butterfield, prime minister of the school’s Parliament. “We collected enough to go under the Christmas tree,” she said.

“It’s good to teach children we’re responsible for where we live and for people less fortunate than us,” she added.

There’s been a lot of charitable work at Credit View Public School.

Principal Mariann Miller reported they adopted a family through the Share the Joy program of the Peel District School Board. She said each class at the school put a theme basket together, adding items were obtained through the sale of raffle tickets.

“We had a lot of contributions,” she said. We always do.”

The effort, she added, “made a significant difference in the life of a family.”

People at Holy Family Elementary School in Bolton collected mittens, hats, toys and food for the Santa Fund. “There were several boxes collected,” commented head secretary Margaret Proctor.

James Bolton Public School took part in the Cram the Cruiser program, and Principal Lisa Miller-Wood said they filled three cars with accumulated goods.

She said they also help a clothing drive to support people in a low-income school community in Brampton.

And while it wasn’t a conventional charitable project, members of the school choir did give of their time to entertain at the Caledon Seniors’ Centre.

CCS benefitted a lot from the United Way efforts at Macville Public School, but there were other similar activities for the holidays, according to teacher Loraine Lapp.

She said the school was involved in a Holiday Helping Hands Drive, which was promoted by the school Parliament.

As well, Lapp said they collected food contributions at the Holiday concert that went to CCS.

Richard Ward, principal at Allan Drive Middle School in Bolton, said they took part in cramming the cruisers, collecting more than 4,000 food items and toys in the effort.

Kids at Herb Campbell Public School pitched in by filling a car in the Cram the Cruiser program.

As well, Vice-Principal Tina Middlebrook reported there was a Candy Cane Tree at the school. Students picked canes, which contained information, such as age and gender) on a child and bought an appropriate gift. The accumulated gifts were sent to the Peel Children’s Centre.

In addition, she said the junior and intermediate students adopted a needy family through Share the Joy.

There was a lot going on at Ellwood Memorial Public School in Bolton, according to Principal John Stegeman. The activities included collecting some 2,000 cans of food for CCS, and Stegeman said each staff member contributed a toy to the cause.

In addition, the school stepped up to support Sleeping Children Around the World, with families donating enough to provide 70 sleeping kits.

Stegeman also saids the Grade 5 students were supporting a needy family while the rest of the school worked to help out two more.

“For a small school, we did some mighty fine things” declared Dianne Keough, a teaching assistant at Alloa Public School.

The accomplishments at Alloa included raising more than $500 for World Vision. She also said the 10 classrooms put together Christmas boxes for needy families. The school also held food and hygiene drives to benefit CCS.

As well, Keogh said there was a mitten tree at the school. It drew 80 items, including mitts, hats, scarves, etc. that were distributed to the Honeychurch Women’s Shelter in Brampton. She added that $1 of every $5 ticket to the school’s Holiday musical went to buy movie passes or gift cards, and they were sent to the Honeychurch shelter as well.

Principal Eric Fischer said the key word for students and staff at St. Nicholas Elementary School in Bolton was BAGS (Be A Giving Source). He said they sold more than $200 bags for $5, complete with suggestions on what to put in them. Fischer said roughly half the proceeds from this effort were to go to CCS, and the rest was to aid earthquake victims in Haiti.

As well, he said the school collected winter clothing for CCS, while contributing to a food drive for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Fischer added the students at the school were responsible for coordinating much of this work.

“The community here has been very, very generous,” commented George Consitt, principal at Pope John Paul II Elementary School in Bolton.

He said the parents’ group put up a number of bearshaped tags on a tree, each one containing information about a child the kids were to buy a present for. The gifts went to CCS.

He added there was another tree set up at the school for the donation of mittens and socks, which also went to CCS.

Consitt also said the Grade 7 and 8 classes have been working to support an adopted family through Toronto Catholic Children’s Aid, while staff at the school worked with seven adopted families.

The support than came from the community for these efforts was impressive, Consitt observed. He said one parent dropped off a microwave oven, and two T.V. sets were contributed as well.

“I was quite overwhelmed at how generous they were,” he said.

Palgrave Public School was active on the charity scene, according to Principal Laurie Johnson.

She said the students worked to collect used coats, mitts and hats. Almost 300 of these items were collected and sent to support a school in a low-income area of Brampton.

And students made major contributions to the Cram the Cruiser effort.

There were two charitable projects at Humberview Secondary School, according to teacher Allison Henley, head of English.

One involved the collection of gently-used coats and accessories that were contributed to the Out of the Cold program to the Salvation Army.

As well, the various departments at the school held a contest to raise the most cans of food, and they went to CCS.

Items of clothing were collected by the staff and students

Robert F. Hall Catholic Secondary School, Principal Ed McMahon reported, stating more than 7,000 items were collected for homeless in Toronto. As well, he said the school adopted some families, providing them Christmas gifts, food vouchers, stocking stuffers, etc.

He added the staff gift exchange this year consisted of the buying of toys that went to one of the local drives.

The people at St. Cornelius Elementary School in Caledon East conducted a Soap for Hope collection, sending soap to Africa, according to Head Secretary Kerri Majetic.

As well, she said they collected about $428 in pennies, and that was sent to the Scott Mission.

CCS were the beneficiary of the food and toy drive that was conducted at St. John the Baptist Elementary School in Bolton, according to Secretary Louise Grant.

Although their school is new, the people at St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Bolton wanted to make sure they did their bit for the local charity scene. School chaplain Urszula Cybulko reported students put together Christmas baskets for 12 local families in need. Staff at the school assembled five additional baskets for Romero House, a shelter in Toronto.

As well, in one of their first projects, the school’s social justice group hosted carol sings during lunch hours over the last couple of days before the Christmas break, where they sold cookies. The effort raised more than $100, which went toward assisting a local homeless man.

Carrol Hutchinson, principal at Alton Public School, said staff and students gathered toys, clothes, boots and jackets to be distributed to various locations. As well, she said staff pitched in to buy grocery cards to assist people in a high-needs area of Brampton.

Students at Mayfield Secondary School did their bit too. Vice-Principal Zorica Zilkey said they collected food and toys, contributing them to the efforts of CCS. In addition, Grade 9 students held a toy drive, with a truck load being delivered to local fire halls, along with $74.05 in Canadian Tire coupons.