A skillfully made sandwich, Oreos, a banana, and of course a juice box are all part of a well-balanced meal. Well maybe not the Oreos, but we all deserve a treat.
Western students gathered at Ontario Hall Monday evening to build lunch bags for those in need.
“This Hashtag Lunchbag event is part of a bigger event called Mustang Mission. It’s a week long initiative that’s getting Western students to volunteer all across the Western community,” says Pledges for Change founder Brendon Wong.
Wong says Pledges for Change will be donating one dollar for every volunteer hour contributed. They’re hoping to raise $500 for a local charity.
Along with Pledges, the London chapter of Hashtag Lunch bag, Western Serves, and the Leadership and Mentorship Program or LAMP, have partnered to put together this volunteering experience.
The lunch bag making event was the official kickoff. Students switched between four stations. At the first station students wrote on the bags.
“On each bag we want to write an inspirational quote so when someone gets the lunch bag they feel a little brightness of the world,” says co-director of the London Chapter of Hashtag Lunch bag, Yousuf Ahmed.
Other stations include sandwich making, packing Oreos, and putting it all together with a banana and a juice box.
But making sandwiches isn’t the only goal behind this event.
“It’s very accessible compared to going out and volunteering with organizations. If students feel empowered and they feel the excitement and happiness that comes along with being able to make tangible change with their friends or strangers, they might feel more inclined to help out in the local community,” says Leadership Coordinator at LAMP, Jeremy Ho.
“Western is a huge part of London. It’s great to see us giving back to the local community.”
