Students from Cedar Creek Public School in Ayr have shown that being young doesn’t stop you from making a big difference in your community. These kids, along with others from different schools, went to the first-ever Hunger Forum by the Cambridge Food Bank in May 2023. What happened was really cool – and these students decided to do something about hunger in a special way.
At the Hunger Forum, the kids learned about how not having enough food is a big problem, especially for other kids. They figured out how to identify who needs help and learned ways to support so that no kid has to go without food. These students also had an opportunity to design and build donation bins for food.
These donation bins have made a big difference in the community as they were used during many food drives at organizations throughout the city.
Inspired by what they learned and excited to make a difference, Cedar Creek Public School decided to have their own food drive. They set a goal: donate 1,000 non-perishable food items to help the Cambridge Food Bank. The fun part? If they reached their goal, their principal would get a pie in the face!
They not only reached their goal but went beyond it, collecting more than 1,400 donations from the generous Cedar Creek PS community. It was a little messy for Principal McMath, but it was all worth it to help others.
Cedar Creek is not the only school taking action. Students from Manchester Public School also made donation bins for their food drive. Students from Central Public School also attended the Cambridge Food Bank Hunger Forum and ran a food drive collecting many of our most needed items. With more kids needing help from the food bank, it’s great to see these young minds working together to tackle the challenge.
What’s amazing is that these actions are not just helping right now; they are teaching kids about giving back. By understanding what their community needs, these young leaders are coming up with creative ways to help.
As we celebrate what Cedar Creek and many other schools are doing to fight hunger, let’s remember that you’re never too young to make a difference. It’s not just the job of grown-ups – everyone can do something to help. These kids are showing us that, one food donation at a time, we can make our community a better place.
