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This year’s Irish Miracle Food Drive at St. Patrick’s Catholic High School is going to be a bit like normal.
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While Sarnia High School is continuing the online fundraising campaign launched last year due to the pandemic to support St. from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the school car park
The Irish Miracle began in 1983, and each year students and volunteers spent a day on the weekend before the vacation touring the community collecting non-perishable food dispensers that were left on their doorsteps.
St. Patrick’s Catholic High School Irish Miracle food and fundraiser for St. Vincent de Paul returns to Sarnia for the 38th time. Handout
It typically collected over 8,000 grocery bags that were sorted at the school and delivered to the local St. Vincent de Paul.
But after the pandemic outbreak, the door-to-door collection was replaced with an online fundraiser last year sponsored by the school and its students.
“It’s a nice middle ground,” said teacher Martina Austin of this year’s Miracle with both the online fundraiser and a personal drive-through grocery collection.
“Children are still not allowed to go door to door. . . But I think people are excited about the opportunity to bring canned food to school, ”she said.
The students help on the day of submission. Donors’ vehicles are guided to the parking lot upon arrival and they can open their truck or hatch for volunteers to unload the donations and reload them onto a St. Vincent de Paul truck.
The volunteers wear masks and gloves and adhere to the rules of distance.
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Students and staff will also be working in St. Vincent de Paul that day to unload the donations and replenish the shelves at the charity’s grocery bank, Austin said.
She said they hadn’t set a goal for the amount of food they’d like to collect, but organizers hope this year’s online fundraiser will hit last year’s $ 30,000 for St. Vincent de Paul.
“It was a huge help,” said Austin.
Donors can click the Irish Miracle button on ssvpsarnialambton.ca from November 22nd to December 10th to make a donation.
Donations will enable St. Vincent de Paul to help families in need this Christmas.
The Irish Miracle is a cherished high school tradition that students look forward to.
“You can see that maybe not everyone is as comfortable in life as many of our students,” Austin said. “And it is nice for you to see how generous the people in Sarnia are and how we take care of each other.”
She said the students asked if the event would be held again this year and what it would be like.
“The fact that it’s a little more normal is very exciting,” said Austin.
“Tons of students are so excited to be here and help.”
She added, “Cross your fingers, next year we’ll be back to normal with door-to-door.”
pmorden@postmedia.com
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https://www.theobserver.ca/news/local-news/irish-miracle-returns-to-sarnia-with-online-fundraiser-and-food-drop-off
