ODSS One Voice One Team students help sort toys for families in the community
December 16, 2019
ORANGEVILLE, Ontario – Many hands pitched in on Monday to help prepare for an annual holiday event that assists those in need in the Orangeville community.
On Dec. 16, students and staff from Orangeville District Secondary School’s One Voice One Team (OVOT) group were at New Hope Community Church, to help members of the Salvation Army sort a mountain of toys for the annual Christmas Assistance Program.
Each year, the program assists 225 to 250 families in need. People from all over the community donate to Toys for Tots drives, held by many elementary schools, community groups and the local police service. Hundreds upon hundreds of new, unwrapped toys are collected to help families who may not be able to afford Christmas gifts otherwise.
On Monday, ODSS students started their day by hauling in bags and boxes of toys, and then spent the next several hours sorting all of the toys. Toys were sorted by age groups and by categories, but not by gender, as the volunteers from the Salvation Army explained, they didn’t want there to be any barrier to children receiving the gift they truly wanted.
On Tuesday, from 8:30am-8:30pm, the community church will become a holiday ‘store’ where parents will be able to go through with Salvation Army volunteers and choose toys for their children. The annual program runs with the help of 40 Salvation Army volunteers, assistance from the students and donations made and collected throughout the community.
Monday’s toy sort is just one example of the great work being done in the community by the ODSS OVOT group. Now in its third year at ODSS, the group continues to grow. The students are really excited to be a part of something like this, said ODSS Principal Pat Hamilton, and the staff have many projects that they are excited to get the kids involved in, such as the school’s Guidance staff organizing the toy sort volunteering opportunity.
Throughout the year, OVOT students are participating in a number of service projects, with students working to make a better school environment, better community and better world through leadership and volunteering opportunities.
In November and December alone, OVOT students volunteered at holiday events, including helping at the Orangeville Santa Claus Parade, at a silent auction for the local food bank, Christmas in the Park setup with the Rotary Club of Orangeville and a Christmas Dinner at the Orangeville Legion.
Great work ODSS!
Categories: News Tags: Community • UGKindness