LSS students trick or treating for the foodbank

High school students knocking on your door on Halloween might not be looking for candy — they might be asking for food.

A group of students from Be the Change, a group at Ladysmith Secondary School, is organizing a food drive for Oct. 31. Donations are for the food bank.

The idea for the food drive, and for forming Be the Change, came around after We Day in Vancouver, a summit at GM Place in September. There were 16,000 students involved, and the Dalai Lama, Jane Goodall, Mia Farrow, Marc and Craig Kielburger attended.

Jenna Saffin, a Grade 12 student at LSS, and eight other students attended We Day and were inspired.

Emily Post, another Grade 12 student, said they felt more could be done to help the community through the school.

Usually, the students have a food drive with some friendly competition between classes building up to the Christmas season, but Be the Change decided to start early.

Students collecting food will be identified. Post and Saffin are hoping to have about 20 students participate, with older students using vehicles to carry the food.

Students plan to collect non perishable food door to door 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Anyone in Ladysmith can also come to the school during regular hours and drop off donations.

There will be an area in the foyer.

Post said it is extremely important to have the school community involved with the rest of Ladysmith.

“It brings everyone closer together,” Saffin noted, adding it is important for young people to be socially aware of what is going on in the community.

Post said the food drive also shows younger students the opportunities to volunteer at the school.

“A lot of our fundraisers are overseas,” Saffin said. “There’s so much here that can be done as well.”

She said the results of volunteer work are really noticeable when its done in Ladysmith instead.