Food hampers give London high school students chance to use their cooking skills and give back

From making a grocery list, getting ingredients, cooking the food and tying the bows on the food-filled boxes, students at B. Davison Secondary School are involved in all aspects of creating hampers for those in need this holiday season. 

"It's about giving kids the opportunity to be part of making the food that we put in the hampers, but it's also really about taking opportunities for learning," said principal Reneé Shave.

About 100 hampers will be put together next week by 10 students involved in the culinary program at the high school, which caters to students who benefit from hands-on learning. The program will be closed by the school board after this year, despite objections from some parents. 

"Our students take on all the responsibilities of sorting the food, getting it, counting, baking cookies, making a hundred of each item for each hamper," Shave said. 

The hampers include non-perishables such as cereal, pasta, sauce and canned vegetables, along with food made by the culinary students, including chili, shepherds' pie, mac and cheese and cookies. 

"You learn things here that you'll actually need to know in the real world, like cooking and baking and where to put things," said Connor Jardine, a Grade 12 student who helped make many of the shepherds' pies. "There's meat and gravy at the bottom, then carrots and peas in the second lawyer, then mashed potatoes on the top." 

Jardine's classmate Patience Wilhelm said her organizational skills came in handy. It's her job to make sure that every hamper assembled. "I'm dyslexic, and it really help me being at this school because it's so hands-on, and I'm able to express myself and not worry about the struggles of normal school." 

The hampers are given out to families within the B. Davison community and three elementary schools, said Neil McMillan, an instructional assistant who works with the students on the hamper program. 

"The kids buy into it right away," he said. "They really like to give to the community and they understand that there are people in need. The kids stick with it start to finish, and afterwards they get to assemble the hampers and help distribute them." 

Help us fight hunger by considering a donation to the London Food Bank. Until the end of December, CBC London is raising money for Londoners in need through our Sounds of the Season campaign. For more details, click on the link.