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Oak Bay students step up to give back this holiday season

École Willows crushes New Souls campaign goal by doubling it
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Willows students respond to a call for shoes, collecting double what the New Soles project was hoping for. Emmanuelle Henry’s grade 4 class initiated the school’s contribution. (Courtesy Jamie Stange)

École Willows has stepped up to give back in a big way this holiday season.

Emmanuelle Henry, a Grade 4 French immersion teacher at the school, saw a Facebook post about the New Souls Campaign calling on Victoria residents to donate shoes to those in need.

Henry brought the idea forward to her class who enthusiastically ran with the project.

“We are always trying to do things for the community. When we saw this intiative, we decided we wanted to try to crush the initial goal (of 200 pairs),” said Henry.

The students made posters and went around to other classrooms to promote the campaign. They put bins in the front hallway where students could put shoes, and submitted ads to the school newsletter to get the message home to parents.

“It was great for them because they had to plan, organize and speak in front of other students,” said Henry.

All their hard work paid off.

“Their huge effort ended up collecting 402 pairs of shoes, and I only had a goal of 200,” said New Souls organizer Jamie Stange, who was thrilled with the students’ initiative. “This effort is going to put a huge smile on many boys and girls and women and men this Christmas. Thanks to them we ended up with 998 pairs of shoes to give back to our community.”

The shoes are going to be donated to Mustard Seed, Our Place, Cridge Center, and Victoria Cool Aid Society.


 
keri.coles@oakbaynews.com

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keri.coles@oakbaynews.com

9807211_web1_copy_171220-OBN-NewSoulsShoeDrive_1
Willows Elementary responds to a call for shoes and collected double what the New Soles project was hoping for. There were notices posted in the school newsletters and signs put up in the hallway encouraging students to bring in shoes. (Courtesy Jamie Stange)
9807211_web1_171220-OBN-NewSoulsShoeDrive_2
Willows Elementary responds to a call for shoes and collected double what the New Soles project was hoping for. There were notices posted in the school newsletters and signs put up in the hallway encouraging students to bring in shoes.
9807211_web1_171220-OBN-NewSoulsShoeDrive_3
Willows Elementary responds to a call for shoes and collected double what the New Soles project was hoping for. There were notices posted in the school newsletters and signs put up in the hallway encouraging students to bring in shoes.