Financial Services students raise $22,000 for Food4Kids

Christine DiCarlo`s second year Financial Services students raised more than $22,000 for Hamilton-based charity Food4Kids.

Mohawk College’s Financial Services students have raised more than $22,000 for Food4kids, a local charity committed to making sure that children aged 5-14 don’t hungry the weekends when they can`t access in-school food programs.

``The money means so much to Food4Kids,`` says Lena Bassford, Executive Director of Food4Kids. ``It will give us an opportunity to expand services to include more children in the program, so they don`t have to worry about where their next meal will come from.``

Lena estimates that there are between 1,200 – 2,000 children who go hungry every weekend in Hamilton. The $22,000 is enough to feed up to 60 of those children, she adds. It will also be used to support Food4Kidz Summer Food program, which supports 400 children through the summer months.

Food4Kids accepts food and cash donations. The food is delivered to participating schools every Friday. The unmarked packages are quietly tucked into the students’ bags and knapsacks before they leave for the weekend. Each package contains enough healthy, nutritious food for an entire weekend.

This is the second year in a row that Christine’s Financial Services students have raised funds for Food4Kids. In previous years, the class focused its efforts on getting people to donate to Canadian Blood Services and raised funds for the Rotary Club. The annual challenge helps students hone their sales skills, which they will need to approach prospective clients if they want to succeed in the Financial Services sector. It’s also chance for the students to impress potential employers.

Topping this year’s list of students who raised the most funds was Financial Services student and MSA President Elect Luke Baylis who raised more than $5,400. Luke was followed by Justin Drinkwater who raised $3,690, Aaron Neal who raised $2,640, Carlee McQueen who raised $2,410, and Katy Davoli who raised $1,000.

This is the first time the second-year Financial Services students have raised funds for Food4Kids. In previous years, the class has focused its efforts on getting people to donate to Canadian Blood Services and last year raised funds for the Rotary Club. The annual challenge helps students hone their sales skills, which they will need to approach prospective clients if they want to succeed in the Financial Services sector. It’s also chance for the students to impress potential employers.