On Monday (December 18), students from Bow Valley High School delivered presents and food to six local families in need.

An incredible school initiative which is supported by almost 90% of the entire BVHS population; students, staff, and parents collected donations not only for Christmas but beyond. 

BVHS Leadership Teacher, Scott Thompson, shares it only took two weeks for the school community to provide Christmas gifts, food, daily living items and gift cards for families to get a three-month reprieve to help break the cycle of poverty.

Thompson shares they focus on adopting future Bobcats by supporting both Glenbow and Mitford School communities to identify families in crisis. "Five of the six families we are helping are single mom's trying to raise families on their own; because we have a tradition of this they are already looking and unfortunately it is not hard to find them."

The notion that these are families not working hard is just not the case; Thompson shares for many the circumstances can be crippling. "A couple of mom's have been fleeing some violent situations in Calgary and fled to Cochrane and are in hiding, another one is in recovery from being hit by a drunk driver so people in real significant situations."

 Second to None Meats and Kingsmith Homes both contributed to Helping Hampers and any leftover donations go to the Cochrane Activettes.

The hampers had an estimated value of a couple thousand dollars each, with each family receiving roughly 15 boxes of donated goods. Gifts were wrapped and delivered by just over 20 students.