by Sylene Argent
On Monday, March 19, the students and staff at Gosfield North Public School began to bring in non-perishable items to support the Essex Area Food Bank.
The school’s spirit of generosity certainly showed in the week-long donation drive that had the school library packed with items that will help local individuals and families facing economic stress to get food on the table.
Student organizers Adrian Harrison and Julia Konrad, who are grade seven leadership students, estimated the donation will double in size by the time Essex Area Food Bank representatives make the pick-up, just in time for the Easter holiday.
The organizers reached out to fellow schoolmates in an effort to solicit as much support as possible, and their efforts were noticed.
“We were not expecting this much at all,” Harrison said over looking the donated items that were overflowing in boxes and lining a table and shelves inside the school library.
Konrad added that the school hosts a donation drive for the Essex Area Food Bank around this time every year to show support leading up to the Easter holiday weekend.
The leadership students at Gosfield North Public School organized donation days to ensure a wide-variety of food was collected, including days that were dedicated to collecting pasta and sauces, cans of protein-orientated items, cereals, juice, canned fruits and snack, soups, and baby food.
The students who donated were rewarded for their contributions with a ‘rock your socks day,’ which coincided with World Down Syndrome Day, and a ‘hat day.’
The leadership students said the support shown to the donation program made them feel good about their efforts and helped them to appreciate what they have.