This year’s version of Everybody Deserves A Smile has resulted in significant kindness care bag contributions to those facing poverty and homelessness in the qathet region.
“It all started in 2019 with a handful of people who asked the little school with the big heart [Henderson Elementary School] if together they could bring smiles to people during the winter season through the Everybody Deserves A Smile (EDAS) program,” stated Doe Fraser, qathet region EDAS community team leader, in a media release.
Through the program, students make hand-painted kindness care bags filled with handmade cards, homemade cookies and new warm socks, hats, scarves, gloves and large-print word-search books. In the weeks leading up to the filling of the bags, students learn about poverty, addiction, homelessness and about social action.
The program aims to educate and engage students and their school communities about supporting marginalized and unhoused individuals in the community by the creation of Christmas care packages.
When the program was announced, Henderson school stepped up, with the support of qathet School District, as the lead school, and, with the community support of the Circle of Friends from Powell River United Church, formed the qathet EDAS team. In the first year, 100 kindness care bags were assembled and delivered.
“Jump forward to December 9, 2024, in the Henderson school gym, and 542 kindness bags were assembled by qathet School District students, and were distributed by Powell River Fire Rescue, Tla’amin Fire Service and Friends of Rotary, to 10 local agencies and community groups in the region,” stated Fraser. Other schools involved were Edgehill Elementary School, James Thomson Elementary School, Kelly Creek Community School, Westview Elementary School and Brooks Secondary School. The goal was to assemble 475 bags and this total was surpassed by a significant margin.
Contributions came in through financial donations, supplies and volunteer efforts leading up to the packaging event on December 9.
“This empathy building and social action leadership program is now in six schools and supported by community organizers, local sponsors, qathet School District, as well as our compassionate community,” stated Fraser.
Fraser added that EDAS is grateful for the continuing support of the City of Powell River, qathet Regional District, First Credit Union, CUPE 798, Rotary Club of Powell River, Dr. Belinda Chow, Dr. Ryan Sinotte, Integrated Clean Dental Hygiene, Quality Foods, FreshCo, Save-On-Foods, Coast FM 95.7, Ecole Côte-du-Soleil, the many cookie decorators, and the growing community support of time and donated items.
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