This weekend, the citywide drive in aid of the Calgary Food Bank is back
"In the spring of 2023, we were feeding 400 households a day," she explained. "Today, that number has risen to 750 households."
The Calgary Food Bank is preparing for its largest annual event, the city-wide food drive, set for Saturday morning.
Thousands of volunteers will collect non-perishable food donations from over 400,000 homes across Calgary.
This marks the 20th year of the event, and Melissa From, president and CEO of the Calgary Food Bank, highlights its growing importance.
"In the spring of 2023, we were feeding 400 households a day," she explained. "Today, that number has risen to 750 households."
In previous years, the drive has gathered between 400,000 and 500,000 pounds of food, vital for the food bank's operations throughout the holiday season.
From is confident Calgarians will continue to support the initiative. "Through economic downturns, fire, and floods, our community has always been there for us," she said.
This year, due to a lack of plastic bags, the food bank is asking donors to leave their contributions in their own bags for easy collection.
The most needed items include canned vegetables, rice, pasta, and baby formula.
From emphasizes that even small efforts can have a significant impact, especially as demand for food bank services has nearly doubled over the past year.
"It only takes a few minutes to grab some items from your pantry or pick up extra goods during your grocery run," she noted.
Volunteers will collect donations by 1 p.m., with the food bank reminding participants that only bagged items will be picked up. Volunteers will not ring doorbells or collect money or cheques, and reusable bags will not be returned.
For more information, visit calgaryfoodbank.com.
