March 2nd, 2026

This past holiday season, students from four schools, Edna Staebler Public School, Lackner Woods Public School, Preston Public School and Riverside Public School, came together to spread kindness in a simple, but powerful way; students created handmade holiday cards for Meals on Wheels clients in the community.

Meals on Wheels, a community program dedicated to delivering nutritious meals to older adults, offers far more than food. For many clients, especially during the holiday season, it provides connection, care, and a reminder that they are part of a community. Receiving a card made especially for them by a local student brought an added moment of warmth and joy to their meal delivery.

This initiative was made possible through the ongoing support of Gazmend Preteni, Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) custodian and former Meals on Wheels volunteer, who has been a bridge between schools and the program.

Gazmend first joined Community Support Connections as a volunteer meal delivery driver in 2020, delivering meals directly to seniors in the community for over a year. When his work schedule later changed, he looked for new ways to stay involved and give back. While working across several schools, he approached principals with the idea of inviting students to create cards for seniors who live alone and receive Meals on Wheels services.

Feedback from seniors, students and staff has been overwhelmingly positive. Many recipients shared how touched they were to receive cards from students, and that encouragement helped the initiative grow to more schools across the region.

Learning Through Kindness

For students, this initiative offered a meaningful opportunity to practice empathy, kindness, and community care. Through creating the cards, students reflected on the importance of helping others and learned how small acts can make a big difference.
They shared how good it felt to know they were helping someone feel seen, included, and cared for.

“It makes me feel like everyone is included,” said Addisyin, a Lackner Wood PS student. “It makes me feel good knowing people are getting healthy food to eat and that I’m part of the community, so no one is left out.”

Educators embraced the opportunity as a way to help students understand what it means to support one another and contribute to a strong, caring community. When students learn to help others, they also learn about belonging, responsibility, and the power of collective kindness.

As one educator shared, participating in this program each year is something they look forward to, and students always approach it with curiosity and enthusiasm.

The initiative has also created pathways for older students to get involved in new ways. At the secondary level, students are invited to support this project through a variety of volunteer opportunities that allow them to give back while completing their community involvement hours.

These small gestures of kindness remind us all that community is built through connection, and that sometimes, something as simple as a holiday card can have a lasting impact.