Volunteering? It’s amazing says St. George’s Elementary breakfast mom

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Wednesday morning, before the bell rings for classes at St. George’s Elementary in Long Pond, Tiffany Sellars and a crew of other volunteers are elbows deep in handing out toast and cereal.

Not only is Sellars an integral member of the school’s breakfast program, she is also active on the school council. Sellars is typical, in many ways, of the other parents and guardians who volunteer at the school, and at schools across the province, as Canada celebrates National Volunteer Week from April 27 to May 3.

Sellars, 33, who is a mother of two, has lived in CBS all her life. She is also a national representative for UFCW Canada. Her husband Justin’s job requires him to be away for stretches of time—alternating between several weeks at work and then several weeks at home. Despite this, Sellars still finds time to volunteer.

When she was younger, Sellars was part of the St. John Ambulance youth group in CBS. Once she became too old to be a member, she volunteered as group leader for six or seven years. 

Sellars’ son Wyatt, is in Grade 5, while her daughter Addison, is in Grade 2. 

“I started my volunteering with St. George’s Elementary as part of the school council when my son was in Grade 1,” she explained. “So we make baskets, we plan fun days, we sell tickets. There’s so much.” 

Last year they began organizing school dances and have held four thus far.

In September 2024, she helped restart the breakfast program at St. George’s. 

“I grouped together a group of moms and we all go in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and make breakfast for the kids at the school,” said Sellars. “So it could be toast, cereal, yogurt tubes, fruit. Some days we do special things like grilled cheeses, pancakes, Eggos, english muffins, all those types of things.” 

The breakfast program volunteers are at the school from about 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. both mornings. Eventually, the volunteers also started making weekend breakfast kits. They held a food drive and raised money so they would have extra breakfast program items for kids to bring home with them on the weekends.

Sellars gets a lot of enjoyment from the breakfast program.

“It starts my day off great,” said Sellars, who is often also recruiting for more volunteers. “I always sell it like it starts your day off so good. You go in and you help the kids and you say good morning and it just starts your day off great.” 

Spending that extra time with her own kids is also a plus for her. “Some days I’m there at the school more than I am at my actual job,” she said.

Sellars said volunteering in the community and helping mold the children into good people inspires others, including the children themselves. 

“I always say it, it takes a village to raise our kids,” said Sellars. “I hope that the kids see us working moms do it and I hope that they do it for their kids and it just follows the line. That’s really what I hope to see.” 

Sellars is full of encouragement for anyone considering volunteering for the first time, whatever the cause.

“Get out and do it and you’ll feel way better for it,” said Sellars. “It just makes you feel a sense of that you’re helping your community, you’re helping the kids… It’s amazing.”