Shelf help yourself

By Natalie Sit

December and the Holiday Food Drive are a recent memory, but hungry students need your help again. The Campus Food Bank is organizing the Shelf-Help Food Drive, which runs from Jan. 28 to Feb. 11. Its main objective is to collect non-perishable food items.

The Campus Food Bank distributed paper bags to groups interested in participating. The groups collect donations and food bank volunteers pick the bags up.

"[You can go to] Volunteer Services and pick up a bag or call down and ask for a bag to be delivered to you," said Students’ Union Vice-president External Nassr Awada.

The campaign is not limited to just clubs.

"From faculty, to staff, to students, you’ll notice from the collections there’s a whole spectrum," said Awada. "There’s a lot of help from different departments."

One club participating is Women in Science and Engineering.

"We figure it’s our duty as a student club," said wise President Tamara McCarron. "The idea of a student club is to help [students] Then, as a student club we should feed them. [It should] be a fundamental policy."

The Shelf-Help Food Drive has a low-key approach. Instead of the high-energy activities, like people collecting change or various club challenges, the Campus Food Bank called and e-mailed different groups.

"It’s way more calmer than [Holiday Food Drive] week," said McCarron. "We try basically to get as much food as possible."

The Campus Food Bank opened in Oct. 1993. It’s one of 50 food banks across post-secondary campuses. In 1997/98, about 800 people received assistance, 300 of which were children. It helps university staff and faculty as well as students.

To help in the food drive, phone Volunteer Services at 220-3092 or drop by and fill up a bag.

"It’s not always about the Holiday Food Drive," said Awada. "People eat all the time."