On September 30, 2025, Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School’s Grade 11 Leadership classes hosted LAThrift. This was a fundraising event based on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, specifically those that call on individuals to value Indigenous knowledge, including putting environmental stewardship and sustainable ways of living into practice. This event gave students the opportunity to purchase gently used clothes, books, cosmetics, and other daily essentials donated by the Loretto Abbey community—items that would otherwise have gone to waste.
The Grade 11 Leadership students put these values into action throughout the month of September, beginning with promotion of the thrift boutique and encouraging staff and students to bring in their new and gently used items. This was done through social media posts, daily in-school promotion, PA announcements, and classroom visits encouraging students to buy two-dollar tickets for the event. All this was in preparation to kick off the end of the month with the LAThrift event.
Ultimately, the Grade 11 Leadership class wanted to show their support for Indigenous communities by donating all proceeds to the Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto. The goal of the Grade 11 leaders was to raise $1,000—and through LAThrift and a bake sale held within the event, they ended up surpassing their goal and raising $1,800!
The Loretto Abbey community will continue to implement the principles reflected in the Dish with One Spoon Covenant, as well as those reflected in the 94 Calls to Action, in order to preserve our Earth. Embracing the practices upheld by Indigenous peoples will further allow the school to respect the land on which we walk, while appreciating Indigenous culture. Moving forward, the leaders of the Loretto Abbey community will spearhead more school events promoting student involvement to give back to Indigenous communities and those in need.
The twelfth Call to Action was acted upon by preserving materials and reducing waste from the Earth’s resources. Starting in the second week of September, donation collections were made, and staff, students, and various other members of the community generously contributed in preparation for the student body to purchase items from LAThrift at the end of the month.
Additionally, two weeks before the shop opened, the Grade 11 Leadership class went around to classrooms selling $2 buy-out tickets to attend the shop, where students were able to visit LAThrift for one period on either day. In total, over 300 tickets were sold, and all profits from those sales, thrift finds, and a pop-up bake sale outside of the shop were donated to the Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto.
Moving forward, the Loretto Abbey community will continue to implement the twelfth Call to Action through school-wide events, fundraisers, and initiatives led by the Grade 11 students, with guidance from their teachers.
The Loretto Abbey community will continue to implement the principles reflected in the Dish with One Spoon Covenant, as well as those reflected in the 94 Calls to Action, in order to preserve our Earth. Embracing the practices upheld by Indigenous peoples will further allow the Loretto Abbey community to respect the land on which we walk, while appreciating the values of Indigenous culture.
Moving forward, the Grade 11 Leadership class will embody these values in future events.
