Carleton’s student-run food bank didn’t let a torrential downpour spook them from trudging down Ottawa streets, as they collected heaps of donations for this year’s Halloween funding drive. 

Knocking door-to-door in the Ottawa South area, it was all smiles for the dozen Food Centre volunteers gathering non-perishable items for their yearly stock of free supplies for the university’s students and alumni facing food-related emergencies.

Even as their soft-sided shopping carts collected rain, volunteers were determined to gather items like dry legumes, pasta and canned meat. They all walked among their unwavering young counterparts who trick-or-treated for candy on Thursday night. 

Pictured top left corner, fourth-year students Megan Pennington and Magdalana Domagala were winners of a friendly competition among a dozen volunteers, seeing who would collect the most donations. [Photo by Temur Durrani]
“I couldn’t be more proud of the work we did today,” said Food Centre coordinator Sara Qureshi, a fourth-year student, running services and programming for the food bank with the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA). 

“We’d told residents in the area we’d be coming along beforehand,” said Qureshi, who handed out notices in the community marked with urgently-required items for the food bank. 

“I’m so glad we finished all our routes despite the rain,” she said. “We really didn’t want people thinking they had stuff ready for us and we were a no-show.” 

Volunteers were dropped off at different points in the Ottawa South neighbourhood, split in teams to cover the entire area. [Photo by Temur Durrani]
Volunteers split up to maximize donations, competing in teams named after primary colours to determine who would collect most funds within an hour.

By the end of the night, it was clear fourth-year students Megan Pennington and Magdalana Domagala were winners of the friendly competition. 

Apart from earning bragging rights, the Red team of two also won a surprising coupon to CUSA-run Rooster’s Coffeehouse to much delight. 

Pennington and Domagala covered the area between Seneca St. and Sunnyside Ave., and halfway down Hopewell Ave. towards Bank St.

Residents were more than receptive to the drenched volunteers collecting donations in their soft-sided shopping carts. [Photo by Temur Durrani]
“At the end of the day, it’s not like this is more than just a couple hours of my time,” said first-year student Maggie Leahy. “It’s not like I’m cancelling plans completely tonight for this.”

Leahy isn’t new to knocking down doors in her community. The Canadian studies student sold items for a neighbourhood drive in high school.

“But that was for profit,” she said. “This is for good.” 

While most donations consisted of dry and canned foods, several residents also donated toothpaste, soap and feminine hygiene products. [Photo by Temur Durrani]
Qureshi says it’s volunteers like Leahy that make catering to the estimated 100 or so Carleton students who come by the Food Centre “just that bit easier” every single day. 

“This initiative tonight really is just one way in which our volunteers contribute,” she said. 

“It’s a daily struggle for so many students—so many that you wouldn’t even realize are facing food insecurity.”

Food Centre Coordinator Sara Qureshi took a lead on the funding drive, arranging routes and collecting donations herself. [Photo by Temur Durrani]
The Food Centre is located on the second floor of the University Centre at Carleton’s campus. Users may visit up to two times a month with their student or alumni ID.

Featured image by Temur Durrani

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