FERGUS – Students and staff at J.D. Hogarth Public School have collected over 3,700 food items to contribute to the Centre Wellington Food Bank.
“Christmas is a special time, but it can be very stressful for those who are struggling financially,” said Jim Newton, a teacher at the elementary school who has organized the food drive for the last two years.
“Our hope is to ease this burden for some members of our local community.”
Newton said students and teachers at the school set goals for how many items their class could collect. The school’s initial goal was to collect 2,000 items overall – a goal they surpassed within the first week of the drive.
“We are now significantly over 3,000 items in total,” Newton said.
The food drive began during the first week of December and ends on Dec. 21.
With the help of volunteers, 3,750 items were packed up and delivered to the Centre Wellington Food Bank.
J.D. Hogarth has a food drive every year, but Newton said “this year is more important than ever due to the increased cost of living and rising inflation costs.
“Groceries, rent, gas, basically everything in society is costing more. Those on fixed income are struggling to keep up with these skyrocketing costs,” he said.
Newton added food drives are valuable because “in addition to helping out the local community, it is important to teach students the importance of being a global citizen.
“At this time of the year, instead of focusing on what you are getting under the tree, you can realize the gratification you receive from giving, and making the world a better place one donation at a time.”
Newton encourages “everyone during this holiday season to look for ways in which you can make a positive impact on someone else’s life.
“You don’t need a lot of money to help out someone in need,” he said.
