Students at several schools across Chatham-Kent are once again collecting canned goods this Halloween to help Outreach for Hunger in Chatham.
Students at Ursuline College Chatham, John McGregor, Chatham-Kent Secondary School, St. Ursula, and St. Joe's Chatham will be going door to door on Tuesday night asking for cans.
Last year, the joint UCC effort collected a record twenty F-150 pickup trucks full of food and teacher Kathy Kearns hopes to match that 20,000 pounds of food this year.
UCC student Erin McKenzie has been doing the can drive for five years and says it's very worthwhile because it helps others. "It's a lot of fun because you get to see how people feel when they donate. They can make a difference and see how they can affect their community," says McKenzie.
This is the 12th year for the "We Scare Hunger" campaign at Ursuline College Chatham and some students will wear costumes but all will have name tags.
Brenda LeClair, Executive Director of Outreach for Hunger, says people can bring canned goods to 10 Wellington St. W. in Chatham if they don't get students collecting them on Halloween.
UCC student Kelsey Dodman says its a win/win for the students and the community. "Absolutely, it's a great feeling. We go around running and screaming down the streets of Blenheim because it's so much fun doing something good for the community," Dodman says.
She says the students win because they get their mandatory school community hours for volunteering. "It's a great cause and it's great to get involved and you get to do it with your friends. It's not hard, it's not taxing on your body, it's a lot of fun to be out there and do something good and you get volunteer hours for it, it's great," says Dodman.