Two Schools Raise Over 1,500 Pounds of Food for Local Salvation Army Food Bank

As food prices continue to rise, more families are turning to Salvation Army food banks to fulfill their needs. To support their community, elementary school students in Kirkland Lake, Ont., have stepped up to lend a helping hand.

The Salvation Army’s Kirkland Lake Food Bank has seen increased demand just like many other food banks across the country. This food bank is currently serving 200 families per month.

As the cost of food goes up, the food bank is now forced to buy more food at a higher price. In a great community effort, Central Public School and Sacred Heart Catholic School, have hosted food drives to support the food bank.

“Elementary-aged children have stepped up for the community and have done an amazing thing.”

Jacob Moore, director of community and family services for Kirkland Lake’s Salvation Army, says the initiative from the schools has been an incredible help.

“It’s encouraging more than anything. Elementary-aged children have stepped up for the community and have done an amazing thing,” Jacob said.

Central Public School hosted a one-week food drive, while Sacred Heart School has been raising food for the past couple of months. To get students more engaged, both schools created different incentives to increase donations.

Central Public School awarded a pizza party to the classroom that raised the most food, and Sacred Heart School gives out “licenses to chew gum” to students that donate.

“It can be fun. You can have little competitions; you can make it a good time and a big event by bringing it to the food bank,” Jacob said.

The one-week food drive that Central Public School hosted was extremely successful. The school decided to do it after a student’s parent who volunteers at the food bank, expressed concerns about food shortages.

According to Farren Mancuso, principal at Central Public School, the food drive not only served to help the food bank but also taught the students about the positive impact their actions can have within the community.

“It was about the students seeing how their actions within our school community can have an impact in the larger community.”

“It was about the students seeing how their actions within our school community can have an impact in the larger community as well. It allowed them to practice their citizenship skills,” Farren said.

Both schools raised over 1,500 pounds of food.

This kind of community support is common in Kirkland Lake. Last Christmas students from Federal Public School held a door-to-door campaign to raise food for the food bank. They delivered their collection with the help of the local fire department.

Jacob Moore encourages anyone that wants to help, to visit their local food bank and chat with the staff to see where help is needed. He also says any donation, no matter how big or small, helps.

“Every little bit that a food bank gets goes a long way. It means something more in somebody else’s bag that they weren’t going to have before. People are very thankful for it,” he said.

By Juan Romero