When a group of students at an Airdrie elementary school heard that the Veterans Food Bank in Calgary had closed down, they decided to do something to help out. The Grade 3 class at Cooper’s Crossing School have resolved to collect a symbolic amount of non-perishable food to stock the shelves at the new Veterans Association Food Bank. “We want to raise 1,111 kilograms of food in 11 days,” says teacher Kari Stockwood. She says that the idea was spawned from a program that aims to build character in students. “Each month, we focus on a character trait and then we partner with other classes to do a character in action that involves the community.” Stockwood says one of her personal passions is Remembrance Day, so she felt that was the best area where the students could help, especially with it being so close to November. She says the students have really gotten on board with the project and have been working to collect donations ever since Thursday morning. Neven Russell says that he and his classmates were sad when they learned about the closure of the facility. “It’s sad that they don’t have money and need food so that’s why we’re raising it.” Emersyn Caron says she wants to raise all the food they can to help veterans in need. “We want to raise a big amount of food because we want the shelves to be food again.” The lessons that the students are learning from the project are very valuable, Stockwood says, and it puts a lot of things into perspective about the sacrifices that those in Canada’s armed forces have made. “I have taught a student in the past who has told me that his family moved to Canada because the bomb blasts were too big in his country. That really hit home for me because we don’t have to deal with that here and I think it’s important for the kids to know that they don’t have to deal with that here because of those wonderful people.” Wayne LaPointe, with the Veterans Association Food Bank, says that food drives are starting to pick up as the year continues and every little bit that people can donate helps greatly. He adds that all he wants to do is help fill a clear need. "When I got the phone call that things were starting to go a bit sour, all I wanted to do was come in and help because they helped me more than once in pretty unusual circumstances but they stood behind me." He says that he appreciates the work that the students are putting into the donation effort and looks forward to making room for the items they'll bring in. The deadline for the donations is November 8, just ahead of Remembrance Day. (With files from Brenna Rose)
