Schools lend a helping hand to those in need
Leading up to winter break, schools throughout PSD have unique ways to give back and extend a helping hand to the community in need with Adopt-A-Family programs, Giving Trees, food drives, winter clothes donations and more.
Turkey Round Up
From November to December, this time of year is often seen as a time of joy and gratitude with traditions rooted in kindness, compassion and generosity. For many people, the Turkey Round Up is the unofficial start of the giving season.
Together, schools throughout the district donated 1,321 turkeys, raised $934 and donated 312 pounds of food drive items this year.
Check out more ways students at a few PSD schools made their communities a little brighter this holiday season.
Bamford Elementary School
Bamford Elementary School gives back throughout the year through the school's Gary Bamford Pack Pantry. Students work hard to keep the pantry organized and stocked with clothes, food, and other necessities, and Bamford families bring in donated items and volunteer their time. During the holiday season, Bamford held a personal care item drive to help restock the Pack Pantry with some of the most in-demand items they carry. In addition, the school collected gift cards to local grocery stores in November and donated them to families picking up turkeys collected during the Turkey Round Up.
Bauder Elementary School
Bauder Elementary School teams up with multiple organizations throughout the school year, especially during the holiday season.
The Bauder community ran a hygiene drive to collect resources for cleaning and other household needs. These items continue to be distributed with McKinney Vento food bags and by family request. The school also provided coats and boots for students in need with the help of The North Fort Collins Business Association Coats & Boots program.
Bauder would also like to thank several groups for supporting Bauder students and families in need throughout the school year and during holidays, including the Champions Sports Café in Loveland, Rocky Mountain High School’s Adopt-A-Family program, the PSD McKinney Vento Department, the Immanuel Church, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and others.
Beattie Elementary School
Beattie Elementary School participated in Rocky Mountain High School’s Adopt-A-Family program by adopting a family. Gifts were gathered and taken to Rocky the Friday before the event.
Fossil Ridge High School
Throughout November, Fossil Ridge held its sixth annual No Shave November event. Participating teachers grew their facial hair and collected donations for charity. This year, Fossil Ridge raised $1,984 – their biggest total ever – for the charity Walk With Me.
Throughout the first half of December, students at Fossil Ridge also collected donations of blankets, winter clothes, toys, hats and gloves, canned food, and toiletries to give to various charities across our town.
In addition, Fossil Ridge DECA hosted Ridge Ties. With the increasing homeless population in Fort Collins and record lows expected in winter, Ridge Ties came together on Dec. 7 to make blankets for those in need.
Kruse Elementary School
Kruse Elementary School held its annual Giving Tree and created holiday baskets. This tradition helps many families in need receive toys and practical items for their children.
Lesher Middle School
Lesher Middle School students supported an Adopt-A-Family program through their sixth-period Extended Learning Opportunity classes (ELOs) in December. The school collected household items, food, gift cards, wrapping paper and more for gifts. Students helped wrap gifts in their ELOs and created thoughtful cards and puzzles to include with the gifts. Lesher also participated in the Turkey Round Up, hosted in conjunction with its National Junior Honor Society canned food drive.
Lopez Elementary School
Lopez Elementary School shared in the giving spirit this year by collecting donations for the Turkey Round Up, hosting a Giving Tree and an Adopt-A-Family program and Coats and Boots.
O’Dea Elementary School
O’Dea Elementary School found many ways to support its community this holiday season through food drives, a Giving Tree, and more. During December, the school community helped support the holiday needs of eight families with donations and gift cards from their Giving Tree. O’Dea also partnered with Northern Fort Collins Business Association and Operation Warm to provide more than 50 coats and boots to students within the school along with Serve 6.8, Dolls for Daughters & Toys for Boys Toy Shop, Realities for Children, Winter Wonderland through Vineyard Church of the Rockies, NoCo Secret Santa’s Free Toy Store, El Regalo "The Gift" and PSD School Resource Officers, who helped families in need of additional holiday support and resources.
During their Thanksgiving Food Drive, each grade was assigned a category and collected donations from the school community. With these donations, students created holiday gift baskets with food, pajamas, and different activities like games, crafts or books for families to enjoy together over Fall Break.
Rice Elementary School
Rice Elementary School set up a Giving Tree in the school to help underserved children in the surrounding community this holiday season.
Rocky Mountain High School
On Dec. 9, Rocky Mountain High School held its annual Adopt-A-Family Program, a tradition since 1996 that many people look forward to each year. This year, Rocky helped 68 families. Almost 300 students and dozens of staff members helped with the distribution process.
Timnath Middle-High School
Timnath Middle-High School began its Adopt-A-Family program last year. In the program’s second year, people in the community could choose to participate in the Adopt-A-Family program or donate clothing or pantry items. Throughout the past two years, this program has shown that Timnath loves to give back, and it helps students and families build community.
Traut Elementary School
Traut Elementary School held its 30th annual Hat & Mitten Tree this year; the Hat & Mitten Tree is a tradition as old as the school itself! The Student Advisory Board collected hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and socks for children in need. Donations went to children in the community and Realities for Children, which is a charity organization that provides for the unmet needs of children in Northern Colorado who have been abused, neglected or are at risk.
Webber Middle School
This holiday season, Webber Middle School had a Giving Tree. People could make a difference to families in need by donating a grocery store gift card.
Werner Elementary School
Werner Elementary School gave back to their community this year with a Giving Tree set up at the school.
Wellington Middle-High School
The Wellington Middle-High School student council ran a food drive throughout November, and student leaders prepared a schoolwide goal and competition. The food donations, including ones from the Turkey Round Up, were given to the Wellington Food Bank. At the end of the food drive, student leaders volunteered at the Wellington Food Bank by preparing and distributing food to approximately 150 families.