A Moment That Mattered
Inside the garage at St. Paul Catholic High School, a group of students handed over a set of keys and changed a family’s everyday life.
What a Car Really Means
Through Rebuilding Wheels, Rebuilding Lives (RWRL), students from across the Ottawa Catholic School Board carefully restored a vehicle and gifted it to a local family. For that family, the car means getting to work, attending appointments, buying groceries, and moving through daily life with greater stability and independence.
Meeting a Real Need
Reliable transportation is something many of us take for granted. For families facing transportation barriers, the lack of a car can affect employment, health, and overall well-being. On this day, that challenge was met with care, skill, and a very real solution.
Learning in the Garage
The work behind this moment took place in the RWRL garage at St. Paul, where students from schools across OCSB come together through the Elite Skilled Trades Academy. They spent countless hours inspecting, repairing, and preparing the vehicle, knowing their work would directly support a family in their community.
More Than a Mark
They were not working for a mark. They were working for a family they had never met.
Skill With Purpose
From diagnostics to final checks, students brought precision, responsibility, and pride to every step. Their learning was rooted in real-world skills, as well as empathy, service, and a deep sense of purpose.
Student Recognition
A special thank you is extended to the students whose dedication made this possible: Suhil, Jayden, Owen, Kamourou, Stavros, George, Nathan, Brennan, Hunter, Scott, Lahcen, EJ, Nate, Rayle, and Anamileya. Your work reflects the very best of what it means to learn, serve, and lead.
Community Partners
This program would not be possible without the generosity and partnership of United Way East Ontario and Surgenor Ottawa. Thank you for supporting Rebuilding Wheels, Rebuilding Lives, and for helping create opportunities that make a lasting difference for students and families alike.
A Community Made Stronger
One set of keys. One family. A community made stronger through learning that truly matters.
