Winnipeg students give back to those in need with ‘Baskets of Love’ holiday program

Winnipeg students at Bonnycastle School are counting down to the holidays while also giving back to those who need it most.

Families in the community have received necessities from the school’s Baskets of Love program since 2020, and this year’s no different.

“We saw a need in our community for families who could benefit from some extra food in their pantry over the winter holiday,” said Lori Bourbonnais, the student services teacher at Bonnycastle.

“It is really a program that provides food items for families in need in our community,” added principal Nicole Girardin. “Students and families bring in donations of non-perishable food items and can give monetary cash donations for our perishable items, and then we provide those baskets of love to the families who needed the most.”

Teachers say the baskets teach children the value of compassion and the difference they can make even at a young age.

“It’s a very fulfilling feeling you can see the students learning things like empathy, generosity, and what it means to be a valuable member of our community,” said the school’s vice-principal Carissa Wiens.

For the Grade 4 leadership team, a sense of pride grows as the baskets fill up. They say this has taught them the true meaning of helping others.

“It makes me feel really good because I’m helping them and they’re gonna be happy and they’re gonna have food to eat,” said Grade 4 student Isabella Lavineway.

“Snacks, canned food, pasta, and rice, just things that will last a while so they won’t really expire.”

For the fifth year in a row, the school hopes the giving lasts long with another great year of Baskets of Love.

“It’s a great program and we accept all non-perishable food items as well as monetary donations, and any monetary donations are used to purchase grocery gift cards for the families to go buy those perishables,” explained Bourbonnais.