With Halloween upon us, Community Outreach Services (COS) is launching a food drive to help replenish the food bank's dwindling supplies.
Dubbed 鈥淭rick or Eat,鈥� the campaign is a youth-led event that puts a new spin on Halloween by asking youth to spend Halloween collecting healthy, non-perishable food items instead of candy.
鈥淭he food bank is running low after a busy summer,鈥� said Anna DeClercq, a teen and youth outreach worker who runs the Youth Community Helpers program at the high school.
To make it a success, dozens of students hit the pavement earlier this week leaving flyers in people's mailboxes and doors, reminding them to have a bag of healthy, non-perishable food ready for pick on Oct. 31.
鈥淲e're trying to really promote healthy food options,鈥� said DeClercq. 鈥淒one are the days of mac and cheese and instant noodles. We really want canned fruit and canned vegetables. People should not only have access to affordable food, but nutritious food.鈥�
She said the flyers provide a list of suggested items people can donate if they are unsure what they should buy.
On the night of Halloween, students will spread out across town with their trick or treat bags, but instead of asking for candy they will ask for a donation for the food bank.
Once they've collected the donations they will drop the food off at the food bank, which is located in the basement of the St. Mary and St. George Anglican Church. The church is located on the corner of Geikie Street and Miette Avenue.
DeClercq said she is anticipating 20 teams of four to spread out across town on Halloween.
The campaign is part of a nation-wide event organized by Meal Exchange, a non-profit organization that attempts to end hunger in Canada by empowering youth to take an active role in improving their local food system.
According to the organization, more than 6,000 students are participating in 100 communities across the country.
