STU volunteers trade candy for cans in annual Trick or Eat food drive

Part of the evening was spent sorting donations, checking expiry dates and stocking the food bank’s shelves. (Sabrina Zabatiero A/Q) 

While many Fredericton residents spent Halloween handing out candy, more than 30 St. Thomas University (STU) students were going door to door asking for something different: food donations.

The annual Trick or Eat campaign, organized by the STU Student Union (STUSU) in support of the university’s food bank, brought volunteers into eight streets and neighbourhoods on Oct. 31 to collect non-perishable items and other contributions from local residents. 

The initiative turns a Halloween tradition into an act of community support.

Before heading out, volunteers gathered for a briefing on what to collect and how to behave. 

Non-perishable items, such as cans, boxes and pre-packaged food, were the priority: anything that could sit on a shelf for months without going bad. 

Volunteers were asked to stay in pairs or groups and to make sure no one was left behind. Organizers reminded them to be mindful of their audience, since they were representing the university and the student union in the community. 

At the end of the night, all donations were brought to the Holy Cross House chapel, near the food bank’s storage, to be sorted.

The campaign comes as the rising cost of living puts pressure on students’ ability to afford basic necessities. 

One in five students on the STU campus reported skipping meals last year because of affordability challenges. (Sabrina Zabatiero A/Q)

The STU Food Bank, located in Brian Mulroney Hall, Room 110, offers anonymous access to all students, with options for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets. 

Some donations also support Hearty STU, a Campus Ministry initiative that prepares free weekly meals, which are packaged and made available through the food bank. 

Canned goods, pasta and snacks are especially welcome because they can be stored at room temperature for long periods. 

Jill Rust, STUSU’s Activities Coordinator, said last year’s drive helped keep the food bank stocked “until February.” 

This year’s campaign brought together approximately 32 volunteers, more than in previous years, which allowed organizers to cover more streets than usual. 

Rust said that volunteers have “been saying how lovely the community was, how it was really nice to meet our neighbours and how kind everybody was.”

For volunteers, the evening was also an opportunity to experience the generosity and warmth of the Fredericton community firsthand.

Even residents who had forgotten about the campaign made an effort to find something to donate when volunteers arrived at their doors. 

Others welcomed the groups with jokes and laughter, making the collection feel more like a neighbourhood gathering than a traditional food drive.

At one home, a man answered the door while his wife called from upstairs, asking them to wait a moment. As the volunteers stood outside, he jokingly called out to her, saying the volunteers were already there and threatening to throw things at him.

Another memorable interaction came from an elderly woman who, despite having no food items to donate, blew the volunteers a kiss and offered them candy instead.

Sade London, a first-time volunteer, said they had not been aware of the event last year, but saw it in an email from the student union this year and decided to sign up. 

London described a neighbourhood decorated for Halloween and residents who were generous with their donations. “There seemed to be a lot of passion for the event and it was beautiful getting to be a part of it,” they said. 

London added that the experience did not feel like a burden and that they plan to volunteer again in the coming years. 

“It was nice to be able to give and give back to my community,” London said.

Residents who donated gave similar reasons. One resident, Trevor Mason, called the drive “a good cause to help people in need.” 

Another, the Bourgeois couple, said should not be going hungry. “[they] can’t learn when they are hungry,” they added. 

Residents’ generosity went beyond traditional food donations. Some households gave money when they had no canned goods, while others offered items such as soap. 

Rust said these contributions may not be what people first associate with a food drive, but they were helpful nonetheless.

Despite the larger turnout, organizers did not set a specific collection target this year, aiming simply to do what they could. 

STUSU or the food bank team didn’t count or weigh the donations. The emphasis remains on community participation and the value of every contribution.