From donation to dinner table, how local food banks get your donations to those in need

Hundreds of food items have made their way from a Windsor school to residents on west end through a food drive spearheaded by students.

A project in a Grade 12 religion class at Holy Names Catholic High School got Emma Mastroianni and her friends thinking about what they can do to show faith in action.

"We decided to do a can drive in order to help the community, especially during this time of year when a lot of people are in need and like the shelters, they're getting more and more clients every day," she said.

They decided to put up posters, have school announcements and post on Instagram for students to bring one can to their semi formal.

"We didn't know that everybody would bring kind of bags [of food]. And it was just like a wonderful experience to see the tables and tables of cans," Mastroianni said.

She said it was an amazing experience having students come together to support the community.

"We're helping, we're making a difference in somebody else's life, and hopefully we can keep doing this," she said.

Mastroianni added that Holy Names' motto is "alis non sibi" meaning "for others not oneself" — something she firmly believes in.

The journey of a donation

All the bags and boxes of food are going to St. Vincent de Paul. Steve Freeman, the food co-ordinator for St. Vincent de Paul, led the march of students from the classroom to the pickup van. This is one of a few donations from schools that will benefit the local community.

Freeman said the need has never been greater.

"They have so many new new customers, new clients that they deal with, and many of these people have never had to deal with a food bank or for St. Vincent de Paul before," he said.

Across Ontario, more people are turning to food banks to meet their needs.

Feed Ontario's executive director Carolyn Stewart said recently that demand is growing at an incredible rate. The organization's latest report marks a 15 per cent increase in food bank users in the last two years and 42 per cent rise in food bank visits. It's the sixth consecutive year that food bank use has risen.

With the van loaded up and students returned to class, Freeman and volunteer Douglas Hayes return to their warehouse.

Inside, boxes of clothing donations are stacked high. A portion of the room is dedicated to donated food. Some is earmarked for churches in Windsor-Essex. Some for Caring Hearts, which will distribute the goods to people living on the west end.

WATCH: Student who helped organize food drive explains they wanted to help out 

Donations go from Windsor high school to those in need

2 years ago

Duration 0:55

Emma Mastroianni and her group were part of a religion class project that asked students to show faith in action. Their plan — collect food for those in need. 

Darlene and Russell Morency have run Caring Hearts for seven years. Now they work out of the St. Vincent de Paul location on King Street on Windsor's west end, where the need is great.

"Sometimes we don't quite have enough but we're very fortunate. My husband...really, really puts everything into it. And we get a lot ... we're blessed," said Darlene.

While Darlene and the seven volunteers work to stock four large tables with food, Russell hits the streets seven days a week picking up donations.

"They say I'm crazy. You know, to do it seven days a week," said Russell.

Thought that may not be for long. He said he's planning to eventually retire. Before that happens there are still mouths to help feed.

People in need line up outside the side door and take a number card. Each is let in one at a time. The food bank asks for a donation of a dollar, which they in turn will use to go by eggs and milk, which goes back to those in need.

"They get off this table of an item off the table and then they come down here and they and get Kraft Dinner or they can get rice or crackers and then they go along there and get canned vegetables," Darlene said.

They arrange the food in groups so it's easier for those coming in to see and decide on what they'd like to take with them.

What Caring Hearts have too much of or don't need is shared with other local food banks, who also act in kind. By the end of the day, Russell said, the room will be mostly empty. It's first-come first-serve, and Russell expects about 85 people to come in.

Those waiting in line said this food bank helps keep them from going without, another said they don't know how they would survive without it.

Sounds of the Season is CBC Windsor's annual fundraiser in support of the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association. It's also a chance to take a closer look at the reasons people in our city are in need, and the steps being taken to help them. 

Donate to the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association now!