Throwback to a Collaborative Food Drive at CBU

On Saturday, December 9, 2023,  the CBU Nursing Society, Unama’ki College and the CBU Students’ Union collaborated for a highly successful food drive. The initiative was aimed at providing support to local community food banks, including the one at Cape Breton University. 

Organized by Nursing Practice Educators, Shawna Goodwin and Adam Elliot, along with the Nursing Society Event Coordinator, Lauren Plant, the event saw a wonderful turnout of enthusiastic students and employees. 

After witnessing the struggles that local food banks were having during such a hectic time of year, the trio responsible for the event’s organization knew they wanted to do something to help. “Initially, we planned to go to just one community; however, once we got started, we saw the dire need in all communities, including our CBU Food Bank,” says Adam. “While there were many moving parts, being able to help eight different communities and the CBU Food Bank was heartwarming. Witnessing the overwhelming generosity of our community was truly remarkable.”

The community’s response was overwhelming, resulting in the collection of a substantial amount of food that replenished the shelves of various locations including Sydney, Westmount, Glace Bay, Louisbourg, North Sydney, Sydney Mines, New Waterford and Eskasoni. On top of this, the initiative saw a total fundraising amount of $4200.

For Lauren, this was an opportunity to make a noticeable difference within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. The project helped the team reflect on how grateful they are for what they have in life,  while spreading awareness about food insecurity. The support of local Sobeys and Foodland locations played a crucial role in the success of this initiative and their commitment toward helping their communities is commendable.

“This initiative is particularly timely during the holiday season, coinciding with Cape Breton University’s 50th-anniversary celebration in 2024,” says Dr. Khaldoun Aldiabat, the Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Research and Scholarship in the School of Nursing. “It’s a beautiful showing of love, compassion and support for the community by the University and its esteemed partners. Moreover, it aligns with our commitment to social justice and the principles of equity and equality.”

The team behind the initiative would like to extend their gratitude to all those involved in the collection and fundraising, as well as the community for their generosity that not only filled the shelves during the holiday season, but also the hearts of those who benefitted from these acts of kindness.

 

Do you have a story of kindness, determination and resilience? Share it with us at www.cbu.ca/about-cbu/newsroom/story/