December 20, 2017 - While the holiday season is a time of festivities, it can be a stressful time for many families and individuals struggling to make ends meet. With rising grocery and housing costs, more and more squeezed households and individuals are having to turn to Food Banks to support their families - just to get by, day-to-day.
Vancouver Career College held a successful Holiday Food Drive initiative with a total of 1,315 items donated to Food Banks across BC. In addition, the College matched every item donated with a monetary donation as well.
According to Food Banks BC about 678,000 people live in poverty in BC, one of the highest levels in the country. Of that group, nearly 40 per cent are adults working for low wages. Did you know that community food banks in BC help 103,464 people every month and that one third are children? In 2016, Food Banks BC distributed more than 1.8 million pounds of food.
For the last month, Vancouver Career College students from across the province have been gathering together non-perishable food and household items, as well as getting involved in other ways such as volunteering at their local food banks.
“This year, the students at Vancouver Career College in Abbotsford collected food donations for the Abbotsford Food Bank. Students were enthusiastic and worked together to surpass our goal,” said Cassandra Fyfe, Campus Director. “Some students were motivated by this act of giving and began collecting clothing items for homeless shelters in the surrounding areas. Overall, our students showed their caring spirits and compassion as we approach the holiday season.”
To learn more about community initiatives at Vancouver Career College, head to www.career.college or join us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.