FALL RIVER: Like many her age, Sarah MacDonald-Miles went out trick-or-treating on Halloween night. However, the treats she was collecting were not the sugar-filled candy many would get as they went door-to-door.
Instead, what the Grade 8 student at Georges P. Vanier Junior High collected from here Concord Avenue neighbourhood was something that was equally as needed—food for Beacon House Food Bank.
“I am getting older to be trick-or-treating so I wanted to do something else,” said MacDonald-Miles, who’s a member of the schools Me-to-We club. “I decided to go around and trick-or-treat for food donations. I think more people should do it.
“I think it’s just a great thing to do, go get food bank donations instead of candy for themselves.”
MacDonald-Miles, from Fall River, said collecting food donations can benefit a lot more people than what getting candy or treats can.
“Where we live has a lot of fortunate people,” she said. “I am very fortunate to have food on the table. There’s a lot of people in this world who don’t have food on the table. That’s why I went around and collected food instead of candy.”
The 13-year-old had help from her mom through motivation and encouragement to do it.
MacDonald-Miles compared her weight to the weight of the food she brought in. She collected almost double her weight—145 pounds of food (she weighs about 100 pounds).
She said she is going to look to be involved with the upcoming Lions Christmas Express food drive, but as well will be doing a coat drive for the homeless in Halifax. That’s called Share the Warmth. In 2016, she and her mom distributed more than 80 winter coats to a shelter for women and children. She plans to get that started in about three weeks.
MacDonald-Miles said gathering as much as she did means a lot. She had it all planned out, having done posters and letting her neighbours know in advance of what she was doing. Those who weren’t going to be home brought over food donations to her home.
“I feel like if I help and bring in what I did, if everyone from the school brought in a lot, it can help a lot of people,” she said.
Teacher Deidra Peverill was proud of her student.
“She did an incredible job,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it when I came in on Wednesday (Nov. 1) and saw how much food she found on Halloween night,” she said. “She’s a really great student.
“It was pretty special of her to, instead of going out and getting candy, she went out and got food to help others.”
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com
