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Spring Out of Hunger food drive gears up in Langford

Belmont food drive allows students to get out and meet the neighbours
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Grade 11 students Emily Rasmussen (left) and Kallista Newby, along with the rest of Belmont secondary’s leadership class, will be hitting the streets on April 26 to collect donations for the Goldstream Foodbank Society. Katherine Engqvist/News Gazette staff

Belmont secondary students are hitting the streets in Langford this month to raise awareness – and collect food – for the Goldstream Food Bank Society.

“At this time of year the food banks get really low on their supplies,” said Grade 11 Kallista Newby, adding that students really want to seize this opportunity to help out.

Spearheaded by Belmont’s leadership class, the Spring Out of Hunger drive will take place on Wednesday, April 26.

While this event was previously referred to as the 10,000 Tonight Spring Edition, this year students wanted to re-brand it and give the spring push its own identity.

“It was really hard calling it 10,000 Tonight,” said Grade 11 Emily Rasmussen. She noted that event is such a tradition and is so well known in the community that when students knock on doors for the spring edition, residents are often confused and think they’ve already been approached. “We wanted to do something that’s fresh and different,” she said.

Despite the fact 10,000 Tonight last took place roughly five months ago, Newby said many feel like it just happened. That said, shelves at the food bank in Langford are looking rather bare, as much of the supply brought in through the holiday months has been used up.

Unlike the winter drive, Rasmussen noted, the spring event is more about getting students out on foot because the weather’s nicer and there’s more daylight. Last year, she said with a laugh, one resident let students borrow a wagon so they were able to cart more food back and forth.

It also means student need not count as much upon driver volunteers, which can be their biggest hurdle. Newby added, “we can take matters into our own hands instead of relying on others.”

Students will head out on April 26 at around 5:30 p.m. with drivers departing around 6:00. The walkers will call it a night when the sun sets, while drivers will be called back to the school at approximately 8:30 p.m.

If you’re not going to be around that evening, items can be dropped off ahead of time at Belmont secondary, 3041 Langford Lake Rd. A little closer to the date of the event, food donation boxes will be set up at Westshore Town Centre. Students are also hoping to engage area middle schoolers to help get the word out in the community.

The leadership class has partnered with their counterparts at Edward Milne Community School in Sooke on the project. Those students will be canvassing their neighbourhoods in support of the Sooke Food Bank Society.

“This year our goal is to just do as best we can,” Rasmussen said.

katie@goldstreamgazette.com



Katherine Engqvist

About the Author: Katherine Engqvist

I took on the role of Bureau Chief when we created the Greater Victoria editorial hub in 2018.
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