Food is Change: Daniel’s Story
“There are many ways to help people have food on the table. No idea is too small or too big. Every action makes a difference.”
Daniel
Positive change begins by taking action. Daniel volunteered to sort food donations during a Family Days event (a unique volunteer activity for families with kids ages 5 – 9 years old) at Second Harvest. Afterward, he was inspired to find more ways to help others.
With Halloween approaching, Daniel knew this was a chance to do just that. He was never a big fan of candy but still wanted to dress up and participate in the holiday. His solution was to create a “Cans Over Candy” food drive to collect nonperishable food while his friends were trick or treating. He designed a flyer and delivered it to his neighbors a few days before Halloween. Then he hoped for the best.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Daniel recalls. “That first year, I had so many cans that the axle broke on my wagon!”
Four years later, Daniel’s Halloween food drive continues to grow. He gets help from his mom, who posts the information on Nextdoor and drives their family car along the route for him to place donations in the trunk. This year, he plans to incorporate a virtual food drive for his neighbors to be able to make financial donations in addition to physical food.
“There are many ways to help people have food on the table. No idea is too small or too big. Every action makes a difference.”