School kids deliver backpacks to the homeless

Students at an Edmonton elementary school delivered backpacks filled with supplies such as gloves, toques and toothpaste to Boyle Street Community services on Monday.

Children at George H. Luck school in Terwillegar spent several weeks gathering items for 350 backpacks that will be distributed to the homeless.

What we do is have the twelve days of backpacks, said Grade 5 student Erika Herle.

And everybody brings toques the first day and mittens the second day, and then we all gather them and put them in backpacks.

The backpacks were filled last Friday. Along with the clothes and personal care items, students put a Christmas card in each bag.

On delivery day, the backpacks were put on a school bus and driven to the inner-city agency.

Principal Tanis Marshall said it was an exciting moment for the students.

Our students have worked so hard in the past several weeks to gather things with their families to give to the homeless, she said.

The students didnt just deliver backpacks. The school choir also performed Christmas carols for people at the drop-in centre.

Drop-in manager Shannon Hebden said the gesture was appreciated.

Its more heartwarming, I think, than just to receive a donated item, she said.

George H. Luck school has delivered backpacks every Christmas since 2007.