Community Service

Volunteerism is an integral part of Hawthorn’s philosophy of service and making the world around us a better place. From our youngest students to our graduating class, opportunities abound to help care for our classmates, school, and wider community. In giving back, we not only aim to improve the lives of others, but we also gain a greater sense of connectedness, meaning, and health in the ebb and flow of our own school days.

Canadian Food for Children 
Every year, during our Spirit of Service Week in February, the grade 6’s and 7’s help feed the poor by volunteering at the Canadian Food for Children Mississauga warehouse. After learning more about the destination countries in the global south and the roots of this national non-profit organization, the students contribute personally to non-perishable food donations, and also help sort through and pack the charity’s donated items into containers. To add some sweetness to the boxes, they bring candy from Hawthorn’s Hard Candy drive. The students work hard and are able to accomplish so much by pulling together as a team!

Greenview Lodge Senior Care Residence

Hawthorn is delighted to partner with the Greenview Lodge Senior Care Residence as part of our community service initiatives. Every year, Lower School students develop our friendship with Greenview seniors through such activities as Christmas carolling, delivering handmade Valentine’s Day cards, performing talent shows there, and simply chatting with the residents with the goal of alleviating loneliness and sharing our joy.

Annual Christmas Generosity Project

Every year in December, Hawthorn School collaborates with the Missionaries of Charity to provide support for underprivileged families here in Toronto. The Order of the Missionaries of Charity cares for the blind, the elderly, the dying, refugees, and all those in need in the poorest communities of the city. The Missionaries give us 160 names of people in need of a Christmas gift. Tubman House students lead Hawthorn in collecting gift cards, putting gift baskets together, and delivering the gifts to the Missionaries of Charity, who then distribute them to the families on Christmas Day. We sincerely thank all Hawthorn families for their help in sharing the joy of Christmas with these citizens of Toronto.