A Virtual Day of Service

Ms. Totten, Coordinator of Global Partnerships and Real World Connections, along with Georgian Parents’ Guild Community Service Convenors Merle Armstrong and Laura Strain, organized virtual workshops for students, cultivating a similar experience to years’ past.

Students were able to select the workshops in which they wanted to participate. One group worked with Poverty and Food Insecurity and had to make and deliver Shepherd’s pies for Friday Food Ministries, while another group that worked with PARC organized a winter clothing drive. A small group of Grade 12 boys went to Global Medic and sorted green and red lentils for delivery to food banks.

Ms. Totten was happy to work with RSGC’s community partners.

“At a time when we see great need in the community without any personal connection, it was nice to be able to make a connection with so many of them,” she said.

Grade 12 student Seb Atkinson did a workshop about social justice, inequity and inclusion with Work Beyond the Work. And unlike his previous Days of Service where did manual labour or worked with senior citizens, this one left a different but lasting impact.

“In previous years, you saw the impact you were making, but the impact was for those we were helping,” he said. “With this one, the impact was internal. I now have a different outlook on social justice.”

For new Georgian Kian Chen, Grade 9, it was his first Day of Service and he didn’t know what to expect in the Work Beyond the Work workshop.

“I thought it would be a little boring, but it was actually really eye-opening. We had a really good discussion about social injustice,” said Kian. “It was more than I expected, which was great.