SRC Halloween food drive: satisfying the hunger

By Lyndi-Colleen Morgan

The St. Clair Student Representative Council wrapped up its annual Halloween Food Drive Oct. 20 and 21.

The food collected will be donated to the St. Clair College food bank for students who are in need of assistance.

The SRC’s Halloween food bank collection began with the distribution of bags to parts of Cabana Road, Grand Marais Street W. , Dougall Avenue and California  on the evening of Oct. 13.  The following week, volunteers collected the bags from those neighbourhoods before bringing them to the TD Student Centre to be counted and taken to the student foodbank.

The event was started by the SRC 10 years ago. In 2014, 8,000 cans were collected from members of the community. This year the SRC collected another 8,000 cans during two nights of collection.

Miranda Underwood, president of the SRC, said the event uses the novelty of trick or treating to collect donations. Instead of candy members of the community can give food that will assist those who need it.

“I am still receiving phone calls from the community members about donations,”said Underwood. “Whether it was about cans that were missed during collection or about people who weren’t part of the collection route, the community is continuing to get involved.”

Underwood also said the Halloween event is one in particular that affects the outcome of the food bank and is where the majority of its food supply comes from.

Underwood said the system the food bank uses is completely confidential, relieving some of the embarrassment students might feel when asking for assistance. The location of the food bank in the TD Student Centre helps this as well.

“Some students are struggling to support a family or pay their tuition, sometimes even both and don’t always have extras for groceries,” said Lancelot Pratt, a second year student volunteer. “They don’t have to worry, this is a place they can go so that some stress is relieved and they don’t have to feel embarrassed about the help.”

In 2014, Food Banks Canada published a report that said on average 841,000 people visit food banks for relief assistance each month. This is the equivalent of filling the Rogers Centre 17 times.

Another study conducted in 2014 by the Ontario Association of Food Banks said that four per cent of post secondary students in Ontario visited a food bank during their schooling. This number was an increase the previous year when the total was 3.7 per cent.

Logan Poels, a member of the SRC and first year participant said events like the Halloween food bank collection help bring awareness about the importance of food banks.

“We all know there are the lucky students and that there are the students who need help,” said Poel. “What we want to show is that we all showed up at St. Clair and that we all have support systems that we can reach out to when we need help and also that it’s not just students helping students but the community helping students as well.”

Underwood said the SRC’s next event is the student pub night at St. Clair College’s Griff’s Tavern on Oct. 29. Students are encouraged to bring two canned food items instead of paying the entrance fee of $2.

Underwood also said donations are accepted at any time for the student food bank and can be dropped off at the SRC office in the TD Student Centre downtown at the intersection of University Avenue West and Victoria Avenue. They can also be dropped off at the SRC office at the college’s main campus.

For more information about donations and drop off points contact Miranda Underwood, at 519-972-2727 or email her at [email protected].