As passionate supporters of Daily Bread Food Bank for over a decade, Norseman Junior Middle School students raised over $5,000 this past holiday season to help Torontonians facing food insecurity.
In addition to an online campaign that generated awareness and communicated the students’ progress through e-newsletters and social media, Norseman students and faculty also organized two major fundraisers to help them reach their goal!
Held on Halloween, the first of the two events saw the transformation of a gym changeroom into a haunted house—complete with a spooky labyrinth and ghostly eighth-grade ghouls scattered throughout. Students were asked to make a donation at the door before daring to enter the creepy crypt. Following the success of the haunted maze, Norseman students organized their annual Candygram campaign, which sold over 4,000 candy canes during the holiday season. From designing posters and delivering candy canes, to giving and receiving thoughtful tokens from their friends, the students found joy in every aspect of the fundraising experience.
Mark Ross, grade 8 teacher, is thankful for the generous and giving community in which Norseman JMS is nestled. Every year, staff, students and parents work to raise funds for local charities. “Our students and parents are the keys to success when it comes to all our fundraising campaigns,” says Mark.
With compassion and caring at the forefront of Norseman’s core values, the school found a perfect partner in Daily Bread. “Food drives are outstanding opportunities for all students to participate in the process of giving,” Mark asserts. “Even our youngest students in kindergarten are able contribute and realize that every donation makes a difference. By running a food drive each year, students have a consistent reminder of the challenge that food insecurity presents to so many in our city.”
Although making an impact can often seem like an enormous feat, the young changemakers at Norseman JMS encourage their fellow pupils across the city to start small. It takes only one person to ask a teacher for help in organizing a fundraising campaign or starting a food drive, and it will make a world of difference. Student engagement in community giving is built over time, and it starts with a team of dedicated staff and students. As children and youth gain a greater understanding of community needs and the impact of community care, many will want to find ways to continue giving—whether it’s through rallying their schoolmates or volunteering to sort food at Daily Bread.
Click here to register as a Community Champion today, to run a food drive or fundraiser in your community!
