CDI College Food Bank Drive

More and more Canadians are struggling to put food on the table every day, and are turning to their local food bank to feed their families. That's why CDI College wants to help!

Food Banks Canada, the national organization that represents the food bank community across Canada, recently released its annual report on hunger and food bank use in the country. According to HungerCount 2010, 867,948 people were assisted by a food bank in an average month in order to have enough to eat. That is a 28% increase since 2008 - and the highest level of food bank use on record in Canada.

Of the nearly 900,000 recipients, half of the households were made up of families with children. In fact, 38% of those helped by food banks were children and youth. As well, 51% were on social assistance, proving that Canadians are still feeling the effects of the recession despite an improving economy.

This year, to lend support to those Canadians who are in need, CDI College will be holding a food bank drive at each of its campus locations. Each campus is being challenged to collect the most food, which will be sent to the local food bank at the end of the month. Do your part and bring in a non-perishable item of food to school during the month of December. The winning campus will be announced in January's Connect Newsletter.

Food Banks Canada distributes more than 10 million pounds of food donations to food banks throughout the country, who in turn feed those in need. This year, every province experienced an increase in the number of people requiring help, but 35% of food banks ran out of food and 50% were forced to cut back on the amount of food provided to each household.

Please bring in your non-perishable food donation to the campus nearest you during the month of December and do your part to help others this holiday!

December 2010 Newsletter

CDI College Facbook Photo Contest

We want to know which CDI campus you call home, or which location you're thinking of applying to. To make things a little more interesting, we've got $600 in prizes up for grabs for those who participate.

All you have to do is comment or like one of the photos in our CDI College Campus photo album on Facebook and you'll be entered. Share the contest with your friends and family too!

Let's see which community has the most spirit, and which city can lay claim to the most CDI grads. By commenting or liking a photo, you'll see past, present and future CDI students who you can connect with!

All those who participate will be entered to win one of 14 prizes. Grand prize is a $125 VISA gift card, 2^nd Prize is a $75 VISA gift card, 3^rd Prize is one of four $50 VISA gift cards and there will be eight runners up who will win a $25 VISA gift card.

Head over to Facebook to enter the photo contest today!

Holiday Volunteer Opportunities

The holiday season means family and friends getting together, laughter and good food. But sadly, not everyone has family and friends close by and not everyone is at home able to celebrate this time of year. Many live in nursing homes, with only fellow patients and nursing staff as company.

If you have time to spare, have you considered volunteering at a local nursing home or long-term care hospital? Volunteering in a nursing home can help you get an idea of what a job in healthcare is like, which may help you decide if you want to pursue that career path.

By giving those who are in the hospital or a nursing home at the holidays a gift of your time, you may be giving them the best gift they could get: not being alone for a while. And it just might make you feel better about the holidays too.

Do you have a story idea or question you'd like answered in next month's newsletter? Send along your ideas or questions to stories@cdicollege.ca!

December 2010 Newsletter

Stay Healthy During Cold and Flu Season

As the weather turns colder and we stay indoors, people often catch colds. No one wants to get sick. While there's no way to cure the common cold or flu, there are some helpful hints to staying healthy:

1. Eat foods that fight viruses. Get a daily dose of vitamins and minerals, garlic, vitamin C and D, cheese and other dairy products including yogurt.


2. Get rid of germs by washing your hands frequently.


3. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Get a good sleep, eat a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly, reduce stress and cut back on unhealthy habits.

For most of us getting sick is a part of life. If you do catch a cold or the flu, the following advice still holds true -- drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest. What are some of your tips for staying healthy during cold and flu season?