While local food banks received generous donations over the holiday season, shelves start to run low by February.
To help bridge the gap, the NLC Rodeo Team and NLC DC Student Council joined forces to organize a community food drive, ensuring local families in need continue to have access to essential groceries.
This year, the initiative partnered with Dawson Co-op to maximize its impact. Co-op provided Hunger Bags filled with $20 worth of groceries. Students helped collect dry goods and pre-sold these Hunger Bags during a local Kodiaks hockey game on Jan 18, rallying support from the community.
On January 23, rodeo students and student council members met at the Co-op Mall, where they worked together to fill 100 Hunger Bags with non-perishable food items. Their teamwork set the stage for the next major event on February 4, when they returned to the mall to collect additional dry goods and sell more Hunger Bags to shoppers.
As groceries get more expensive, the need for these services and donations from our community is more important than ever."
Dena Batt, St. Mark's Food Bank
The response from the community was overwhelming, with all 100 Hunger Bags sold. That plus the additional donations equaled 650 kilograms of food donated.
"A tip of the hat to all involved," said Leanne Esau, Manager, Athletics and Community Engagement, Northern Lights College. "It was a very uplifting experience to have the opportunity to actively participate in this Food Roundup community campaign. It feels good to do good."
The final step of the project took place on February 5, when NLC staff delivered the collected food to St. Mark's Food Bank, seeing firsthand the impact of their efforts.
Dena Batt, who coordinates the food bank, was so grateful for this much needed donation. She explained that although they need to expand services in our community, they still need everyone's support.
"We were able to make some beautiful hampers for folks around Christmas, but the food only goes so far. These donations make the difference for so many people. As groceries get more expensive, the need for these services and donations from our community is more important than ever."
All food banks in Dawson Creek are connected, and donations are welcome year-round. Those looking to contribute can contact St. Marks Food Bank at 250-782-2939 for more information.
