A total of 2897 cans of food were donated by students at Wodonga, Melrose and Wodonga West primary schools in one week this month to Border charity One Can.

One Can founder Ainsley Stone said she was thrilled with the response from the schools this year.

She said the food drive was extended to other Wodonga public schools this year after Wodonga Primary School joined the project last year.

“Wodonga Primary collected 900 cans last year,” she said.

“I would have been happy with 1500 cans this year; in the course of only one week they managed to almost double it.”

One Can has generated 20,000 items and cans of food for needy people on the Border in its first two years of operation.

Ms Stone started the concept in late 2015 in response to growing poverty in the community.

Having felt she could not make much of an impact alone, she banded together like-minded friends and family to start a Facebook page, One Can.

The 115-member Can Do team donated 5033 items in the 12 months to October 17, 2016, to UnitingCare Wodonga.

“Since my initial hopes of collecting 270 items, it’s been a massive community effort,” Ms Stone said.

“It’s been well received because of its simplicity.”

UnitingCare Wodonga agency manager Naomi Jansen said the One Can project had gone from strength to strength since its inception.

“The impact it’s made for a single mum or dad who are struggling to pay the rent, means they can give the kids a special Christmas or put food on the table,” she said.

“Utilities, rent and food prices have all gone up and it’s impacting people greatly.

“With the school kids getting involved in One Can we can give more food to people doing it tough.”

Ms Jansen said One Can donations were also used in the schools’ emergency relief cookery programs.

“The schools have made 180,000 meals this year that have gone to the needy,” she said.

One Can drop-off points are St Stephen’s Care Centre, 1 Nilmar Avenue, Wodonga, Monday-Friday; Wodonga Primary School; Quench N Feed Cafe, 510 Smollett Street, Albury, Monday-Friday, 6am-3pm and Saturday, 6am-1pm; Pound 4 Pound Personal Training, 11/155 Melbourne Road, Wodonga; Smart's Bakery, 391 Wagga Road, Lavington; and Profolio, 552a Stanley Street, Albury.

Visit www.facebook.com/onecancan.

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