‘It only takes one’: Local teenager celebrating birthday by raising money for Ottawa Food Bank

Ava James-Sidoli is in the business of helping people — and she’s only 14 years old.

To celebrate her upcoming 15th birthday, James-Sidoli is raising money for Ottawa’s Food Bank, and she’s already secured $6,690 of her $7,500 goal as of Sunday afternoon.

She's 89 per cent there. 

“I’ve been [raising money for the Food Bank] since I was five — going door to door with my mom and family,” she explained. “But last year I wanted to make it more special and try and beat my goal from when I was five.”

And it doesn’t take much, James-Sidoli said. In fact, “It only takes one.”

“Being a 15 year old girl — yes it’s hard doing this — but I’m trying my best to help fill people’s fridges.”

Hearing from the Ottawa Food Bank that 38 per cent of its users are kids under the age of 18, it’s a cause that’s become close to James-Sidoli’s heart.

Even when James-Sidoli was younger, she’d always ask her mom to pack extra food in her lunchbox for school so she could help out others in her class she knew didn’t have as much.

“Filling people’s fridges and seeing that some people don’t have as much food as others breaks my heart. I want to be a person who can make a difference and help those families.”

And while she hopes she could influence others to take part, she realizes it’s not for everyone.

“I don’t expect every teenager to do what I’m doing because it has been really difficult for me going through school, doing all of this, getting a job, hanging out with my friends as much as possible.”

“I just want to help people by doing what I’m doing right now, but I want to be a doctor when I’m older.”

Anyone who wants to help James-Sidoli raise money can go to her fundraiser page here on the Ottawa Food Bank's website.