October 2009 Archives

And we're underway!  Trick or Eat food drives are starting across the country.

In St. John's, Newfoundland - campaign co-organizer Jeff Walsh has this to say...

Greetings from the Rock!  Meal Exchange at Memorial University of Newfoundland will be celebrating tonight!  Our first Trick or Eat campaign looks like it'll be a great success!!   We were expecting 40 volunteers because this was our first year, but instead had 80.  The food has been pouring in all night!  One team brought in three garbage bags full of food from canvassing two streets - and this is happening again and again.

It's too early to say how much we have raised tonight, but the community response has been awesome.  St. John's has really shown to us that they understand the tremendous need for change when it comes to hunger in our community!  Our chapter has been more than thrilled by the dedication of our volunteers and the selflessness of our community.

At Mt. Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick - volunteers are just about to head out to collect food.  Here's a photo of some of the faces you'll be seeing at your door.

Over 7,000 students are volunteering this Hallowe'en...getting dressed up and going door-to-door to collect food items.  Combined their efforts will raise enough food to provide 160,000 for their neighbours who rely on the local food bank.

Their creativity doesn't stop at their costumes...it applies to their online fundraising efforts too.  In Vancouver UBC student, Lynda, blogged that "this was her first time doing this kind of thing, so please, make my first time not fail" and has now exceeded her goal of $300.

In London, Ontario - Heather Andrighetti and Casey Whitelock, students at the Univesity of Western Ontario created Facebook events to advertise their fundraising efforts.  Hundreds of others have been updating their Facebook statuses.

And the secret to successful online fundraising...updating your persona page.  Check out Mandeep Kaur from Waterloo, Nathaniel Ngo from Vancouver and Kristen Elliot from Calgary.

MuchMusic has been a supporter of Meal Exchange since 2002.  In 2007, they produced a public service announcement and each year they promote the Trick or Eat campaign.

That's how Jessy Pesce, MuchMusic VJ Search 2.0 finalist heard of the campaign and signed up so she could support the Georgina Food Bank in her hometown of Keswick, Ontario - and she's inviting you to join her by registering here.

Check out her video

What most people don't realize about Meal Exchange and the Trick or Eat campaign is that we are grassroots.  Two staff out of a small office in Toronto work with dedicated volunteers across the country (and in the case of Trick or Eat - across the continent) to coordinate the largest youth food drive.

You'd never know how small & efficient we are by the amount of media coverage the campaign receives...

Toronto Star - How to Have a 'Good' Hallowe'en
Edmonton Sun - Teens collect food, not sweets this Halloween
Guelph Mercury - University students trick-or-treating for food bank
Fredericton - The Daily Gleaner - Students, community invited to collect food on Halloween night
St. Catharines - Brock Press - Trick or Eat Halloween food drive comes to Brock
Saskatoon - The Sheaf - Trick or Eat Hallowe'en food drive
Orillia - Packet & TImes - Trick or Eat in support of the hungry this Halloween
Fredericton - The Brunswickan - Trick or Eaters to canvas for canned food
North Bay - Nugget - Trick or Eat participants collecting items for food bank
Vancouver - The Ubyssey - Giving Cans not Candy
Ottawa - Metro News - Trick-or-Eaters seek donations
Halifax - Dalhousie Gazette - Door to door campaign is a real graveyard smash

Only one night a year do households expect a knock on their door from a costumed stranger so that they can hand out edible items.

Trick or Eat puts a new twist on this night of giving with thousands of students going door-to-door asking for food donations to their local food bank and raising awareness about local hunger.

That's the simple explanation of what happens on Hallowe'en..but for a full taste...watch this video.