The Choir School students also performed on CBC Radio’s Sounds of the Season, a day-long radio fundraiser with various performers, with all proceeds going to local food banks in the GTA.

“Singing brings joy to people and it’s also an opportunity to spread the message of Christ through music,” said principal Barry White. “The initiatives are about teaching the boys to become men and leaders in the world by thinking of those who are less fortunate and thinking of the marginalized.”

Aside from singing, the student council has organized a toy drive, with all donations going to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, said White.

They’re also taking part in a shoebox program in co-ordination with Covenant House.

“It’s a special shoebox put together with toothpaste, shampoo — any necessities that kids on the street might need,” he said.

At Brebeuf College, students will be continuing the annual tradition of collecting as many canned goods as possible, said chaplaincy team leader Sergio De Miglio.

“All the homerooms have competitions to see how many cans we can give to the poor,” said De Miglio, with all proceeds going to the North York Harvest Food Bank.

De Miglio said the school broke a record with its goodwill in 2002, donating 46,013 cans.

“And we’re so proud we have the record of most cans ever given at one time from any high school,” he said.

Students are also running a clothing drive, with proceeds going to the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Out of the Cold program, and giving Christmas baskets to needy families within the school.

Christmas baskets seem to be the initiative of choice at Toronto Catholic high schools, with Chaminade College, Loretto Abbey, St. Michael’s College School, Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School and Marshall McLuhan among the schools putting together baskets for those in need.

At Marshall McLuhan, students and staff are donating Christmas baskets to 35 families through St. Paul’s Basilica. Within the school community, 25 families will also be receiving baskets.

“We have a significant amount of students who actually live below the poverty line so as a way of extending Christ’s kindness and charity to our very own, we also adopt families from our own school community,” said chaplain Linda Izzo.

“It’s one of the most rewarding parts of my job,” she said. “I see the faces of people who are benefiting from our kindness and it’s actually quite unbelievable to witness the reaction because in most cases it’s complete and utter awe and shock that someone would care about their plight.”

Lorraine Treacy-Rozario, a member of the chaplaincy team at Notre Dame, said the school community is putting together Christmas baskets in collaboration with the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Corpus Christi parish. The baskets will go to families from St. Brigid’s parish, St. Michael’s Cathedral and students in need within the Notre Dame community.

“It’s a way of giving back to the community,” said Treacy-Rozario. “It’s a response to our call to be in solidarity with the poor. It’s the whole idea of charity and it’s also to show the importance of giving.”

But she said the fact the students know the composition of the family they are supporting is one of the reasons behind the program’s success.

“The kids bond with that and become personally responsible for that family,” she said.

“They tell themselves ‘I’m going to make that child’s Christmas a good Christmas.’ It’s a personal commitment that each student makes.”