The gold embossed flowery card reads:

Dear Valentine,

I hope you like cookies. I know I do. I hope you get well soon and feel happiness in your life.

You can enjoy your life if you mush on and smile. I made these cookies especially for you. My Mom and I made them. One day your dreams will come true and love will come in your life.

With best wishes,

Cora, (age 8)

Words of encouragement flow from Black Mountain elementary school this week as the next generation learn a little social responsibility with some sugary treats.

Two classes of Grade 1 and 2 students spent Wednesday morning sealing baggies of cookies and special Valentines cards for the Meals on Wheels program. hoping their thoughtful gestures warm the hearts of elderly, less mobile Kelowna residents.

"Each class gives back to the school or gives back to the community." said principle Scott McLean, explaining social responsibility is a goal for the Joe Rich-area school.

Lead by teachers Mairi Forsyth and Angela Dereume, the youngsters listen to guest presenters from Save-On-Foods about the importance of hand washing. Then holding their freshly hands in the air like surgeons, they proceeded through the seemingly endless line to the tables of fresh baked cookies.

"I chose the cookies that didn't get picked yet," said Emily McCormick, one of the students packing sweets into bags to be delivered with the meals.

Asked what her favorite cookie was, Emily said she prefered chocolate chip with purple icing and sprinkles, but her mom made plain chocolate chip ones to give away.

On the other hand, Grade 2 pupil Ronny Lorette figured the fact that they were giving cookies away at all was the problem.

Knowing he was likely to want to eat them, he asked if he could keep his cookies.

In an interview after the interruption, he admitted the project is an important task he's glad to participate in, saying he wanted to make everyone else feel special.

There are more than 100 people in the Kelowna area who currently receive Meals on Wheels service, but just 24 children in the class.

The Grade 1 and 2 students have been working on the project for a couple of weeks, preparing special encouraging messages to go with a stack of donated cards.

Their parents volunteered to bake the cookies for the occassion.