It's almost time for Lantzville residents to set their donations at the end of the driveway, as the annual Lantzville Food Drive fast approaches.
Now entering its 14th year, donations collected by Lantzville Fire Rescue and the Rotary Club of Lantzville include perishable and non-perishable food, gift cards, hygiene products, baby food and diapers.
Cherie Alyward, food drive organizer and local firefighter, said it's about giving back to the community.
"We are one of the biggest employers of the community and they see us everywhere. When we get calls, they see us; we do fire drills at the school and all sorts of stuff," Alyward said. "And we take a lot of pride in doing this."
Donations can be left at the end of driveways Dec. 1 at 8:30 a.m., preferably in a waterproof bag. Residents should have received a coloured flyer to act as a tag, that can be taped or stapled to the bag to signal that it's meant for pick-up. The bags will be picked up by Rotary club volunteers from 9 a.m. to noon, then sorted into hampers at the fire hall. If a donation is missed during pickup, it can be dropped off at the fire hall until noon.
Alyward said that organizers are currently encouraging families in need to reach out to apply for a hamper, as while donating has risen in recent years, the number of families in need who have been applying for a hamper has actually gone down. While it could be interpreted as fewer families needing the hampers, Alyward mentioned that it could also mean families who do need the support aren't reaching out. Canada’s monthly food bank use count has recently climbed to a record-breaking two million.
"Anybody who lives in our community could request a hamper, anybody who is low," she said. "For some people, it's that time of the year where they're struggling."
Alyward asks residents to not be shy if they need a hamper.
"If people do want to receive a hamper or they know of somebody, say a neighbour or somebody in the community that needs a hamper they could phone the Lantzville fire department at 250-390-2811 and request a hamper," Alyward said, adding that people can also e-mail lantzvillefooddrive@gmail.com.
