Students from St. Patrick’s High School hope to collect 40,000 pounds of food Saturday morning for the Inn of the Good Shepherd food bank.
The 18th annual Cyclone Aid food drive was kicked off Tuesday morning with a skit performed by students in the drama room.
Inn Executive Director Myles Vanni said this campaign plays a critical role in helping them stock their shelves with food.
"What we're really trying to do is kind of act like squirrels now-- we collect all this food in the spring because we know in the summer, food donations stop. So we're really trying to stock up to get us through the summer," said Vanni. "If we meet our goal of 40,000 pounds, that's about a whole month's of food for us."
Vanni said around 1,850 people use the food bank every month.
"You really don't know who's using our services-- it could be a neighbour, a co-worker, or a family member. But the important thing is the community supports us so we're able to be there for them," said Vanni. "We see the majority of our people are working poor, folks who are on a disability or retirement pension."
Vanni said certain items that are always needed include cereal, children’s lunch items, and canned fruit.
Residents are encouraged to place their non-perishable donations outside the door this Saturday between 9 a.m. and noon.
This year, canvassers will not reach areas south of London Road and west of Indian Road but volunteers will visit houses on both sides of London and Indian.
Anyone in areas not canvassed can drop off non-perishable donations of food at the Inn of the Good Shepherd.
