Farm Credit Canada made one of the final stops of the 15th annual Drive Away Hunger campaign at Green Valley School. They were not disappointed.

Teacher Maria Friesen says a school record of 7034 lbs of food was collected by the students and staff; an amount that could only be raised through innovative ideas and friendly rivalries.

Friesen explains that the guys and girls volleyball teams had a contest to see who could raise more and together gained more than 3000 lbs. Meanwhile, one of the French classes went door to door in St. Pierre to practice their French while collecting food items. Similarly, students involved in the Tech. Ed. Department spent time knocking on doors in Grunthal to gain extra goods.

Before and After loading the trailer

One middle-school student, Holly Milburn, explains why she thinks this event is important: “Some people are not quite as fortunate as us. We have three meals on our table every day, sometimes others just barely get one.”

After a school-wide assembly congratulating the students on their hard work and revealing the final numbers, many middle-school students stayed to help FCC employees load up the goods into their trailer to be taken away and distributed to various food banks.

“We have a really good community. The kids and the teachers and the town we live in; they all like to help,” concludes Friesen.

Southeast Helping Hands Chair Hank Klassen thanks communities like Grunthal, Niverville, La Broquerie, Ste. Anne and many others who contributed towards the massively successful drive. About three-quarters of the food raised will go to Steinbach’s food bank, notes Klassen, while the rest will be spread throughout other organizations like Grunthal’s Caring Hands.