The first time that I ever volunteered was with the Lions Club in Calgary. I remember it
well because it immediately opened my mind to think bigger. On that day, I spent time helping
out at a nursing home. I helped residents during a bingo game. While it was fun, I could see a big
need in spaces like this. Many residents required a lot of help, and volunteers and workers were
stretched thin. On the way home from that experience, I kept thinking about how there are so
many underserved populations in our world, and truthfully, I felt like I needed to do more and be
a more impactful part of my community.

Not long after, as fate would have it, I heard on the news that there was a growing
problem of food insecurity. Inflation was making access to food harder for regular people, and
something about this bothered me … a lot. I knew I wanted to make a difference, no matter how
small or big. To better understand the issue and contribute to a solution, I began volunteering at
the Calgary Food Bank. That experience eventually led me to create my campaign, Harvest For
Hope, to help raise awareness and funds for the Food Bank.

The Problem: More Resources Needed

When I volunteered at the Calgary Food Bank, I saw a sorely needed resource that was
helping many people. There were clients of all ages and backgrounds. Some were single, some
were with families, but everyone was there for the same reason; to find accessible food options.
The Calgary Food Bank worked hard to support every person who walked through its doors.

During my shifts, I was assigned the role of a “shopper”, which meant I filled up carts
with groceries to hand out. While doing this job, I noticed what types of foods were most
commonly needed and where there tended to be shortcomings.

After one of the shifts, the organizers shared with us volunteers that every dollar that is
donated to the CFB is equivalent to $3.15 worth of food. Also, at the end of every shift, we
would get told how many households we serviced per day. On average, 800 households are
served per day by the Calgary Food Bank. All combined, I could see that if I wanted to do more,
donating food was a great option, but raising funds for the Food Bank could be even more useful.
That’s where my fundraising journey began.

Developing a Solution That Could Help Meet the Need

To begin the process of raising funds and awareness, I started to think of campaign ideas
that would work well in my community. After brainstorming, I came up with two main
approaches: donation boxes in local stores and flyers around my community. Over the span of
five months, I carefully planned and organized the steps needed to make these campaigns
successful.

For the donation boxes, I designed handmade boxes to fit neatly on a cashier’s counter. I
chose to approach small businesses because I believed they would be more willing to be part of a community initiative. I went around my community and proposed my idea of having the boxes
on their counter to collect money during the holiday season.

At first, the process was challenging. Many businesses declined, and some never
responded at all. This was disappointing, but I reminded myself that meaningful change rarely
happens without trying. Instead of giving up, I continued asking more businesses and refined how I was explaining my cause. Eventually, my perseverance paid off, and three businesses agreed to support my campaign. I’m grateful to Eclipse Bakery and Cafe, TrueSkin Clinic, and Beirut Bakery and Restaurant.

For my second campaign, I collaborated directly with the Calgary Food Bank. Through
this partnership, I was able to receive a personal QR code that allowed people to donate online
directly to the Harvest For Hope campaign. This was a huge step forward, and the Calgary Food
Bank was an amazing partner to work with. They made the setup so easy, and their team
empowered me to move forward. This was a critical step because many people prefer donating
digitally these days, and the QR code made the process quick and accessible. I placed the QR
code on both the donation boxes and the flyers, allowing the campaign to reach even more
people and spread awareness throughout my community.

What Happened? How Did the Campaign Turn Out?

The results of the Harvest for Hope campaign were incredibly positive. By the end of five
months, I raised approximately $2,000 for the Calgary Food Bank, which exceeded my original
goal by four times. Knowing that 100% of these funds would go to the Food Bank and provide
food for families in need was extremely rewarding.

Beyond the money raised, the campaign also had other important impacts. It helped bring
attention to the issue of food insecurity in my community and encouraged people to contribute.
Many individuals in the community showed how much they support the cause, and I was amazed
by how willing they were to help. This created a stronger sense of community and taught me that
when people are given the opportunity to help, many are pleased to help make a difference.
Seeing so many people choose to give made me feel happy and grateful. It was a great feeling knowing that people in my community wanted to help make a difference and support Harvest for Hope.

We’re Not Done Yet!

Although Harvest for Hope has already made a meaningful impact, there is still more that
I hope to accomplish in the future. I believe that this cause is important, and I want to continue
supporting and raising funds for the Food Bank.

The next project for Harvest for Hope is to organize a bake sale at my school. I’m
currently speaking with clubs who wish to collaborate with me to this end, and I’m confident that
this can elevate my campaign and might even allow for more students to get involved. By
working together, we can raise more funds while also spreading awareness about food insecurity
among students. In the future, I would also like to expand Harvest for Hope by encouraging other
schools and youth groups to start similar campaigns (or donate). If more youth get involved, the
impact could grow far beyond my own community. Even small actions, when multiplied by
many people, can make a difference.

My goal is to continue raising funds and awareness for the Calgary Food Bank while
inspiring others to contribute in their own ways. Harvest for Hope started as a small idea, but it
showed me that one person’s initiative can inspire others and create real change in their
community. I’ve personally seen the good done by the Calgary Food Bank, and I intend to
continue to help amplify their impact. Food insecurity is real, but I certainly plan to do
something about it.