Area businesses have once again joined together to help stock the shelves of the London Food Bank.
The Business Cares Food Drive, now in its 20th year, kicked off Friday at Western University's London Hall. The three week campaign asks businesses of all sizes to register to collect non-perishable food items and cash donations.
So far, more than 200 businesses have signed up to participate. That number is expected to grow to 500 by the end of the food drive, said Campaign Chair Wayne Dunn.
The goal for this year's drive is to surpass last year's record haul of 443,000 lbs of food by one additional pound.
"It is really the community's involvement and help that we are really going to need to make this thing a success," said Dunn. "The volume of what we need and the usage at the food bank has increased so much, but we are able and happy to do this."
Volunteers with the food drive will be dispersed throughout the city on Saturday and Sunday for "Grocery Store Weekend." The two-day initiative sees 700 volunteers at 26 local grocery stores collecting and loading donations from shoppers into 26 donated trucks.
"We are hoping this weekend alone we will end up with a third of our total. Dollar-wise that is probably going to be an excess of $250,000 worth of food," said Dunn, who never dreamed the food drive would continue for two decades. "When we started this 20 years ago I was thinking maybe four or five years we would do it."
The need within the community is what keeps Dunn and other members of the organizing committee going strong. More than 3,500 families rely on the London Food Bank each month, that is roughly ten times more than 20 years ago. Of those served by the food bank, roughly 38 per cent are children.
The impact the annual food drive has on the London Food Bank is "huge," said Jane Roy, the non-profit's co-executive director.
"It is basically what gets us through to the spring food drive," said Roy. "The money has a huge impact because it is what allows us to have the flexibility to purchase the fresh items and fund the programs that help us to get those items, so that we can provide a healthier option to folks. We couldn't do what we do without them."
According to Roy, the food bank spends roughly $150,000 a year on milk and eggs alone.
In addition to grocery store weekend, the food drive will be collecting food and monetary donations after each of the Grand Theatre's holiday productions of Mary Poppins and at the London's Knights' upcoming "Be A Fan, Bring a Can" events.
All donations collected during the food drive will be delivered to the London Food Bank on December 20.
Businesses interested in participating in the drive can do so by registering at www.businesscares.ca.
