On Hallowe'en, candy is the only thing on the menu.
But every other day, food insecurity in the community – and even among students – is a real concern.
The St. Clair Thames Students Inc. (TSI) Trick or Eat Food Drive annually aims to help fill that void, with the help and generosity of the surrounding community.
TSI has been running the food drive for the last decade to get donations for their on-campus food bank.
"One of my favourite things about Trick or Eat is seeing our students come together to make a difference for one another," said Kaitlynn Byrne, President of TSI. "Food insecurity is something that many students face, and initiatives like this allow us to continue providing that extra support through our campus food bank."
TSI board members and student volunteers go out to the neighbourhood close to the college and leave paper bags with a note on their doorstep. The note explains that volunteers will be back later that week to collect the bags from their front porch with food donations.
This year, TSI dropped bags off at more than 400 houses.
"What makes this campaign even more special is the amazing support we receive from our surrounding community," Byrne said. "Year after year, our neighbours continue to show up for our students through their kindness and generosity, and we are so grateful for that."
This year featured a great turnout of student volunteers to host the initiative and the results were incredible. It also serves as a great initiative to make connections with the community, while supporting students with a basic need.
"I'm proud to see our community come together to support our students through Trick or Eat. Every donation helps ensure that students facing food insecurity have access to the support they need," said Lindsay Wakem, TSI Vice President. "We're incredibly grateful for our community's generosity and for helping us make a difference in the lives of our students."
According to Holly Emery, Operations Manager of TSI, the donations benefit the TSI food bank, so the food goes directly back to the student body.
"We have a significant number of students with families that utilize our foodbank and we rely on our Trick or Eat initiative to stock the food bank," Emery said.
"It's wonderful to see our student volunteers and community come together to make this initiative possible," said Byrne. "Trick or Eat is such a great reminder of how much of a difference we can make when we support one another, and I'm so proud that we get to continue this tradition."
