people posed in front of truckStudent and staff volunteers collected more than three metric tons of food for donation to local food banks April 5.

Food bank donations help to fill emptying shelves

The Higher Education Reaching Out (HERO) Project has one over-arching goal: to give students a chance to repay the Windsor area that hosts them during their University years. A collection drive in support of local food banks showed the value of that effort, netting more than three metric tons of food.

About 130 volunteers—students and staff—headed door-to-door April 5, soliciting donations for the Unemployed Help Centre.

“The staff at the food bank was really happy for the donation because they were very low due to the time of year,” says residence life coordinator Jacqueline Mellish. “The students were shown the food box given to an average family. Seeing how empty it was helped them to understand the need in the community.”

In addition to the contribution to the Unemployed Help Centre, Residence Services conducted a food drive that restocked shelves in the student food bank at Iona College.

“The Iona food bank was low as well, so this donation came at the right time to support students through the rest of the semester and into summer,” Mellish says.

Watch a video about the April 5 “HERO Day of Action.”