Grade 9 student leads Ramadan food drive collecting 3,000 pounds for Sarnia shelters

Sereen Sattar, a Grade 9 student at Northern Collegiate, coordinated a city-wide canvassing effort that helped the Sarnia Muslim Association collect 3,000 pounds of food during this year’s Ramadan drive.

A Northern Collegiate student helped lead this year’s Ramadan Food Drive, as members of Sarnia’s Muslim community collected 3,000 pounds of food for local shelters and food banks.

Sereen Sattar, a Grade 9 student and this year’s canvassing coordinator, organized volunteers across 16 neighbourhood routes — a growing initiative that began just two years ago to meet rising community needs.

“We started canvassing because we’ve seen firsthand how the cost of living has risen and how inflation has affected everyone, especially after COVID-19,” said Sattar. “People who were already struggling are now facing even greater challenges.”

More than 800 homes were visited during the door-to-door campaign, covering the entire Twin Lakes neighbourhood, Wiltshire Avenue, and Cambridge Crescent. In total, 47 volunteers contributed 278 hours.

Of the total collected, 1,849 pounds were donated to the Inn of the Good Shepherd, with the remainder split between the Women’s Interval Home and River City Vineyard.

Sattar described the community’s generosity as moving. “One moment that stood out to us was driving through the neighbourhood before we started canvassing and seeing all the doorstep donations,” she said. “It warmed our hearts to see so many from house to house.”

The campaign, organized by the Sarnia Muslim Association, also serves as a platform for cultural connection. “It gives people in our community the opportunity to learn about Islamic culture first-hand from their fellow Muslim neighbours,” Sattar said. “Rather than focusing on differences, we should embrace what makes us unique while remembering that we all deserve respect and compassion.”

In addition to the main drive, separate food collections were led by the Emergency Department staff at Bluewater Health and the Math Plus Tutors Learning Centre. Their donations were directed to River City Vineyard to help address a temporary food bank closure.

This article was created with support from advanced editorial tools and reviewed by our team to ensure accuracy and fairness. Learn more.