An Aboriginal program in Edmonton that works to strengthen Indigenous children’s school-readiness skills and cultural foundations is teaching kids the respectful way to give and receive gifts while helping others over the holiday season.

The Aboriginal Head Start program’s Santa’s Helper Donation Drive is collecting donations of toiletries or any useful item laying around the house that can be given as a Christmas gift.

“Our program does serve some at-risk population,” said Executive Director Melissa Nollski. “And so with the struggles of COVID[-19] and the struggles of everyday life, some of our families just can’t afford anything, and so it’s our goal to always make it memorable for the children and the families that are in our program and we try really hard to just make a difference…. Our goal in the month of December is to teach our children about giving, teach them about receiving, teach them about what it means to do those things and really just change someone’s day — put a smile on their face.”

Donations can be dropped off at #204-13245 Ave. —146 Street until Nov. 30.

Listen to the full CFWE report below for more details about this initiative: