Grade 12 students from Ste. Anne were busy wrapping gifts on Friday in preparation for Ste. Anne Community Christmas.

Joanne Vielfaure-Romaniuk is the social worker at Ste. Anne Collegiate. She notes over 60 gifts were purchased by the staff and now students are wrapping them before delivering them to the food bank next week. Vielfaure-Romaniuk says when the Ste. Anne food bank opened a few years ago, they delivered approximately 40 hampers but adds now the need has grown to about 55.

"That's why this year we actually knocked on Richer School's [door] for the staff to help us out with the purchasing of all the gifts. There's been an overwhelming need but as a community, we've really been coming together and it's been just beautiful to see all our kids, our staff be a part of this Community Christmas." 

The other three schools involved are Ecole Ste. Anne Immersion, Ste. Anne Elementary and Ste. Anne Collegiate. Vielfaure-Romaniuk adds students from the Ste. Anne Elementary School made the ornaments which are tied to the gifts once they're wrapped. She explains why it's so important for students to get involved specifically at this time of year. 

"I think it's so critical for our kids to be involved in Community Christmas. It's about giving back, it's about acknowledging that there is a need in our community, it's about volunteering and it's about giving our time back. I think when we do give a little bit of our time, at the end of the day, it makes us feel good, it enhances our sense of belonging to our community  so I think it's just a win-win situation."

Ste. Anne Community Christmas hamper pick-up will begin next Friday.