Cambridge boy's challenge to classmates a boon for food bank

Cameron Rego wanted to help less fortunate people in Cambridge, so he challenged his classmates to bring in items for the food bank.

The goal for Chalmers Street Public School was 500 items.

"We went way over that to 1,700 items," the 10-year-old said in an interview Friday as he was standing at the Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank after spending the morning stocking shelves alongside his dad.

"I feel very happy that I helped homeless," he said.

His mother, Eryn, said she and her husband Jason are incredibly proud of their son.

"I don't even have words without wanting to cry," she said.

She said Camerson has noticed people on the streets in Cambridge. He knows about the situation with discarded needles being left on the ground.

• 100 needles found in 3 hours near Cambridge's Central Public School
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"He's 10. He's not naive. He sees what's going on in our city," she said.

They've talked to him about safety, but all he really wanted to do was help.

Along with more than 1,700 food items, Rego also received a donation of 1,500 kilograms of frozen meat and some cash.

"It's very important to help around our community and it's very important that we help others because if we never even helped, everyone would just not live a happy life," he said.