When like-minded people come together great things happen. When Sheri Krell noticed there was a lot of unused food being thrown out at the campus cafeterias, she decided to make a difference. She and several of her student friends formed Soul Food, a group that collects unused cafeteria food and delivers it to shelters in the city.
In the five years that Soul Food has been in existence they have delivered over 60,000 meals. The impact on the shelters is significant, decreasing some food budgets by more than 60%. The cafeterias benefit by reducing their waste, and those in need receive wholesome, hot food.
For Sheri and her Soul Food colleagues the impact is immeasurable. “We were lucky to have been at Queen’s to start this project. The support we received from everyone involved was overwhelming and continues to be so.” Soul Food relies on approximately 50 volunteers from Queen’s and the local community. For six nights a week during the academic year they collect food from campus, load it into vehicles and deliver it to five shelters. “By spending just a small amount of time every day to make this happen, we can make a huge difference to the lives of people who are down on their luck and need that helping hand to make their lives just a little bit better.”
