Now that Halloween has passed and Remembrance Day is upon us, as to be expected, local retail stores are anxiously anticipating Christmas with the hope of a rush of people passing through their doors. Local food banks throughout the Anglophone North School District are also getting ready for a busy time. It turns out that many school children are aware of the needs of others in their community and will be actively involved in collecting non-perishable food items and delivering them to the needy, usually through local food banks. Members of the public are asked to please be generous and take the opportunity to make a contribution.      Support for the needy by district schools varies. Lord Beaverbrook School in Campbellton is once again planning on creating a “Human Link” to actually deliver food items that they collect on November 29th. The plan is to physically pass on items one by one in a human chain stretching from their school to the Campbellton food bank to symbolically illustrate community support.  In this project the school incorporates awareness of November as Family Violence Prevention Month.     Schools in the southern part of the district are collecting once again in a collaborative manner for the food banks in Rexton, Miramichi and Blackville. Each week the donation of specific food type is encouraged. Each donation qualifies the donor’s respective school for a ballot for a draw for a multimedia computer for the school, this to add a little encouragement. Specific details on this project can be found on individual school web sites.      Bathurst area schools also contribute to local food banks but collectively their focus is on needy seniors in the community. Not only are non-perishable food items collected and delivered, included are fresh baked items, knitted goods and in some cases financial assistance. These are delivered personally in the spirit of the season to the recipients who are able then to fully appreciate the warmth and generosity shown.  For a number of seniors the personal visits by caring volunteers means a great deal and is a high point of their Christmas. It is also very meaningful for the volunteers.