Financial Services students raise more than $21,000 or Food4Kids

Christine CiCarlo's second-year Financial Services class raised more than $21,300 for Food4Kids.

Mohawk College's Financial Services students have raised more than $21,300 for Food4kids, a local charity committed to making sure that children aged 5-14 don't hungry the weekends.

The $21,000 will be enough to feed 50 children every week for one school year, says Food4Kids Executive Director Lena Bassford. So successful was the fundraiser, she adds, that Food4Kids is using the money to launch a weekend food program at another school in Hamilton and will name that program in Mohawk's honour. The official launch will happen later this year.

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.

"Without these donations these kids would have nothing. They would go hungry the entire weekend," says Lena.

For many parents the program not only helps feed their children but also helps ease the financial burden, she says. Many work two or more jobs to make ends meet. This program means they can spend a little more time at home with their kids.

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.