UPEI residence students make a difference with door-to-door food drive
On Sunday, October 27, UPEI residence students took part in a door-to-door food drive, Trick or Eat®, in support of the UPEI Chaplaincy Centre Food Bank. Led by Residence Life Advisor (RLA) Shelby Dyment, the UPEI residence team organized the event and collected non-perishable food items along a collection route in Charlottetown. The event, which is part of a national initiative, was deemed a success by everyone involved.
Trick or Eat® is a youth-led national event that puts a new spin on the annual night of giving—Halloween. Instead of collecting candy, thousands of Trick or Eaters across the country raise money online and go door to door to collect non-perishable food items for local food agencies. They also raise awareness about hunger in Canada through household flyers, educational materials, and online resources.
To ensure the event’s success, Dyment spread the word to surrounding communities before Halloween, recruited volunteers, and encouraged people to donate food on campus if they could.
“We collected a few donations at our table in the residence, but door-to-door knocking was definitely the most effective, and the turnout was beyond our expectations,” said Dyment. “Everyone we visited was eager to give; many were UPEI alumni, students, or current staff with a personal connection to the school. Those who have gone through university especially understood the effort it takes to support yourself as a student and the importance of the food bank. Even though we were essentially strangers coming to their door, we had that connection. The generosity and support made this event so amazing!”
Dyment stressed the importance of the student volunteer team who dedicated their time on a cold day to help her collect food. Prisha Halder, Ryan Gallant, Georgianna Delancy, Odegua Obehi-Arhebun, Thanh Ngoc Nguyen, and Charisma Farrell helped gathered food items from 114 homes along Atlantic Road, Hunt Avenue, Shell Court, Seaview Boulevard, and Westview Drive in Charlottetown. Braeden Van Asperen from Dana Hospitality helped transport the food back to the Chaplaincy Centre in a truck, which made the process faster and easier.
“Everything was a team effort, and I'm so grateful for these volunteers,” said Dyment. “Ultimately, when we brought everything back to the food bank, the pantry was almost doubled!”
Campus ministers Sister Sue Kidd and Lauren van Vliet said they are very grateful for the support.
“It is unfortunate that the community needs a food bank. However, we do, and the need does not appear to be changing soon other than perhaps a growing demand for support,” said Sister Sue. “The event was well organized, and the enthusiasm of the residence students was inspiring. Student support for students is always appealing. Panthers care.”
Dyment said she knows how important the UPEI campus food bank is for students living on their own, especially in residences where almost everyone is responsible for cooking for themselves.
“As RLAs and SRLAs, we are responsible for checking in on our residents, making sure they’re doing okay, and informing them about the resources on campus that can provide support. Knowing the contributions will come back to support our residents makes it all even better.”
