Love, hope and self-worth all in one bundle.

Students at Our Lady of the Assumption School in Calgary are gifting blessing bags this Easter to homeless men and women staying at the Mustard Seed emergency shelter.

Erin MacLachlan, the school’s principal, who oversees students from kindergarten to Grade 9, praised her students for putting their faith into action.

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“Every year we survey our students on a variety of topics (related) to their education,” said MacLachlan. “When it comes to faith formation, they were asked ‘how do you feel most connected to God or to (your) faith?’ Overwhelmingly, students said they feel closest to God when they're actively serving others.”

Kindergarten kids and pupils in Grades 1, 2 and 8 are filling bags with warm socks, gloves and toques. Grades 3, 4 and 9 classes are offering toothbrushes, travel-size toothpaste, lip balm and lotion. The Grade 5 and 6 students will supply travel-size deodorant, wet wipes and pocket tissues. And Grade 7 boys and girls are contributing soft granola bars, fruit snacks and water bottles.

Grade 7 student Payton (last name concealed due to Calgary Catholic School District privacy policies) has visited The Mustard Seed before and came away impressed with the services for Calgarians experiencing misfortune.  

“They always provide meals and housing for people who can’t afford it,” said Payton. “I know they have an upper room for families with children, and that is a great help.”

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MacLachlan said The Mustard Seed is an ideal cause to champion because of the Christian non-profit’s “main focus being maintaining the dignity of every person, regardless of their background, and truly acting as Jesus would.”

The Register has engaged with The Mustard Seed multiple times in recent years about the efforts of its staff and volunteers to serve the vulnerable. Along with offering food and shelter, the organization’s wellness centre delivers medical care, mental health support, occupational therapy, tax clinics, ID services and more. The chaplains on the spiritual care team lead Bible studies and Alpha courses, offer prayers and one-on-one counselling. This suite of services is rounded out with an employment support program for both guests and local partnering businesses and non-profits.

Alongside Calgary, The Mustard Seed is established in Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, Kamloops and Saskatoon. According to theseed.ca, in 2025 the organization served more than 980,000 meals, offered 765 shelter spaces daily and supported 1,466 clients into stable housing.

The 320 Our Lady of Assumption students had until March 30 to submit their designated goods for the blessing bags. Then the junior high kids on the student leadership team worked with the younger students to bag their items and the kind notes they wrote for The Mustard Seed guests.

April 2, Holy Thursday, was delivery day.

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MacLachlan shared how the blessing bag initiative instilled an important Lenten value within the students.

“Our students are learning a lot about almsgiving,” said MacLachlan. "They're (seeing that) we've got to turn our focus from inward to outwards and that true service requires intentionality. At this point in time, as we head into the Easter break, students are understanding that they're offering the Easter promise of a new beginning to those people in the community who are most in need.”