Five schools in the Kennebecasis Valley have collected over 12,000 food donations this month during their second annual Food Bank Drive.
They will be dividing their items among the four biggest food banks in the Saint John area, and a number of smaller ones.
The drive started after the K.V. Food Bank asked the community for donations last year, as February tends to be their slowest month.
Becky MacKay, a community school coordinator in the Valley says the schools will be dividing their items among the four biggest food banks in the Saint John area, and a number of smaller ones.
“Our local food bank suggested that we divide up the food equally among the biggest food banks in the city, and that they would spill out into the smaller ones if there was an abundance,” she said.
In all, the combined collection will be contributing to the K.V. Food bank, and collection centers in the East Side, North End, Community Food Basket uptown, Romero House, Outflow, Bobby Hayes, Nicole Centre and Crescent Valley.
A number of local high schools have offered to deliver and unload the donations.
“This is a fairly easy way for schools to work together to make a difference in our community,” said MacKay
She also says the drive is an opportunity to teach students how to be good citizens.
“Any sense of giving and any sense of community and need in the community just helps create engaged, empathetic, conscious community minded students, and that’s what the whole goal of this is,” she said.
