The unique service trips offered at TDChristian, which involve all students in Grades 9 and 11, are one way in which students are encouraged to live their lives in service to God and others. In Grade 9, students spend two days of their first week of high school in downtown Toronto working directly with homeless people, facilitated by incredible organizations who are making a difference in the inner city. We are proud to partner with Yonge Street Mission, Scott Mission, Habitat for Humanity, Church of the Redeemer, Good Shepherd Centre, St. Francis’ Table, and five Salvation Army organizations. During the trip, students spend the night in a downtown church and participate in a variety of activities such as handing out socks and bottled water to the homeless people they meet on the street. The trip also creates a context in which students can get to know each other and lay the foundations of friendships that will grow and change during their next four years. This is particularly beneficial for those students who come to TD not knowing many other students.
This emphasis on service is further developed during the Grade 11 service trip, during which students spend a week downtown. As on the Grade 9 service trip, students spend the nights at a downtown church and serve during the day at many of the same drop-in centres. They also participate in unique activities such as the street walk, which focuses on youth living on the street, and the welfare simulation, which exposes them to the realities and the challenges of those struggling with poverty. Students are immersed in the rich cultural diversity of Toronto not only in the drop-in centres but also through the meals they eat. Each night they eat at a different restaurant, enjoying the tastes of Thai, Himalayan, Caribbean, Greek, and other foods, some of which are new to them.
Students routinely cite the service trips as the most memorable experiences of their time at TDChristian.