Preschoolers from Les Petites Abeilles gathered in the main foyer of École Notre-Dame des Vallées to present a $633 cheque to Cochrane Helping Hands.
“We understand there are community members who are struggling every day,” said parent volunteer Mandy Ungar. “This year’s harder than ever, so we wanted to give back to the community to ensure that everybody is being helped as best as possible.”
This was the first time that proceeds from a bi-annual bacon fundraiser organized by Les Petites Abeilles and École Notre-Dame was donated to charity.
“This is such a sweet donation,” said April Baird, community engagement and food programs manager for the Helping Hands Society of Cochrane and Area. “We’re extremely grateful for the tiny kiddos who get involved with this kind of sharing and giving.”
The donation will support the organization’s Free Food Shed initiative, which redistributes up to 10,000 kilograms of rescued food annually, at no cost to the community.
“Children understand the concept of caring and sharing at a really young age, and it’s important to talk to them about that so they can grow while developing empathy for others,” said Madame Brigitte Lafare, founder and supervisor of Les Petites Abeilles.
“The children did really well. We explained that we could use the money to buy toys for the program, but instead, we gave the money—their money—to people who need it more.”
École Notre-Dame des Vallées has an ongoing relationship with Helping Hands. Through last year’s Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI), the school donated $5,000 to the organization. This year, the YPI grant will go to the Pregnancy Care Network.
