A Brackendale family is taking a recent plea for donations from the Squamish Food Bank as a call to action and are asking other Squamish kids going back to school next week to do the same.

After reading last week’s article about the plight of the food bank in The Chief (“Food bank donations urged”), Heather Metz asked her son Lukas, 6, to “sit down, close his eyes and imagine how he would feel if I told him, ‘times are tough for our family at the moment and we don’t have very much food. The food bank is even suffering and we don’t know how we can send you a lunch to school,’” Metz wrote in an email to The Chief.

“It brought tears to both of our eyes. Luckily we are not in this situation but many families are struggling… Lukas and I decided we could make a small difference by going around our neighbourhood asking for non-perishable food items and/or money that we could bring to the food bank.”

In last week’s Chief, Squamish Food Bank Society president Susan Newman said the facility is in dire need of donations of both money and food. She warned that if the food bank, which serves approximately 400 people per week, doesn’t secure donations right away, “we’re going to have to close down.”

Heather and Lukas have launched the Back to School Food Drive, challenging all students going back to school on Tuesday (Sept. 4) to canvas their neighbourhoods and/or donate what they can.

Heather Metz is convening a gathering of participants on Monday (Sept. 3) at 3 p.m. at Eagle Run Park in Brackendale. Those who gathered donations will be eligible for “a couple of cool prizes.”

Those with questions, those who have small gift certificates from local businesses to donate to the party, or who have donations to be picked up may email her at heathermetz@gmail.com