Four dedicated students from North Delta Secondary School (NDSS), Mannat Bariana, Ravneet Kaur, Maheep Kainth, and Jovin Bahia, are taking the lead in organizing the 7th annual BAM Food Drive, a community initiative that runs from November 4 to December 17. All donations collected will go to Deltassist, helping families in need across Delta.
What is BAM?
BAM, short for Brandon's All-Star Mentors, is a mentorship program at NDSS that helps students become leaders and empowers them to give back to their community through several initiatives and events, one of which is the annual BAM Food Drive. A key focus of the BAM Program is the connection and mentorship provided by BAM members to grade 6/7 students to ease their transition into high school.
The program honours the legacy of Brandon Bassi, an NDSS graduate and community leader who tragically passed away in 2019, a year after graduating high school. Brandon was a Vancouver Whitecaps prospect and played soccer for the SFU men's team. His commitment to leadership and service made a lasting impact on students at NDSS and continues to inspire them today.
"The BAM program provides students with several valuable skills," said Jesse Hundal, NDSS teacher and one of the program sponsors. "We encourage students to leave NDSS better than they found it and to take responsibility for making their community stronger. As a result, the program extends beyond the classroom and into the community giving students a great opportunity to make a difference, while also developing and practicing the skills of leadership, collaboration, connectivity and accountability."
This Year's Food Drive Leaders
Grade 11 students Mannat, Ravneet, Maheep, and Jovin are spearheading this year's food drive, and have taken full ownership of the campaign, from planning to outreach.
"Our goal is simple: to help people in our community who don't have enough food," said Jovin.
"We're encouraging every NDSS student to donate at least one item. If everyone participates, we'll collect more than 1,350 items!" said Maheep.
The team is thinking big. They've set up donation tables at local libraries and recreation centres, posted flyers, and even partnered with sports clubs.
"We want to get more students involved in helping out," said Ravneet. "And we want to make donating as easy as possible," added Mannat.
"Visiting school sports teams are also being invited to contribute when they attend NDSS for games, so the food drive is open to more than just the students at this school," said Ravneet.
"This initiative matters because it's about making a real difference," shared Jovin. "We want to improve people's living conditions and show that small actions can create big change."
Why It Matters
Food insecurity is rising. As a result, the students decided to focus solely on food donations this year.
"Last year we collected toys and clothing too, but with grocery prices climbing, food is the greatest need these days," explained Maheep.
Teachers Jesse Hundal and Gary Sandhu emphasized that the students run the show:
"We give them a framework, but they make the decisions," said Jesse. "That's how their grow their leadership skills and ability to collaborate with others. If they run into issues, we will help them think of solutions, but we don't tell them what to do," echoed Gary.
The BAM Impact
With space for 45 members and over 100 applications to join the program this year, BAM is more popular than ever which shows that students are looking for opportunities to support their community. The program not only fosters leadership but also builds friendships across grades and helps reduces anxiety for new students entering high school.
"The BAM program helps us to be the change we want to see in the world," said Mannat.
"When I joined BAM, I was surprised by how kind and inclusive everyone was it feels like family," said Jovin. "We know younger students are watching us, so we want to set the best example possible. Hopefully it will help them when it comes to their turn to lead."
As Gary puts it: "The program feeds itself. Strong leaders inspire the next group of students in the BAM program, and the cycle of good community spirit continues."
"I always say to the students that if their actions, interactions and intentions come from the right place if they put others before themselves, then good things will happen," concluded Jesse.
Want to help?
Join these students in making a difference this holiday season! Drop off your non-perishable food items inside the front foyer of the school before 8:30 a.m. Also, you can find BAM donation bins at North Delta Recreation Centre and George Mackie Library.
