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Food drive back to stock shelves of Revelstoke food bank

Emergency Services Food Drive takes place Tuesday, September 12
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Volunteers sort donations during the 2016 Emergency Services Food Drive. ~ Photo by Alex Cooper

The Revelstoke Emergency Services Food Drive returns next week, and this year it is a one night affair.

Hundreds of volunteers, supported by the RCMP, Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services, BC Ambulance and other emergency officials, will be blanketing the community to accept donations for the Community Connections Food Bank on Tuesday, Sept. 12.

In past years, the food drive has taken place over two evenings, but this year the second day will be reserved for sorting food, said community food coordinator Jenna Fraser.

The food drive is the food bank’s biggest fundraiser of the year and has collected more than 27,700 kilograms of food and $28,000 in cash donations over the past six years.

It allows the food bank to stock its shelves and provide food to the more than 100 households that access the service every week.

It has been a tough year for the food bank; earlier this year, the shelves emptied out. Patti Larson, the manager of the food bank, said the situation has improved since then. “It certainly looks more positive than earlier this year. Food donations along with garden produce has seen an increase,” she wrote in an email. “This community never fails to step up when needed!”

For the food drive, the food bank is looking for:

— Canned tomatoes, vegetables, beans and fruits;

— Dried or canned soup;

— Tomato and pasta sauces;

— Canned tuna and salmon;

— Peanut butter and other nut butters;

— Rice, oats and dried pasta;

— Grains, seeds and granola cereal;

— Baby diapers and supplies;

— Personal care items;

— Pet food.

“In order to increase healthy donations, we prefer items with five or fewer ingredients, items with low or no salt and sugar, and no junk food,” wrote Larson in an email. “We cannot accept home canned products.”

Volunteers will meet outside the RCMP detachment at 5 p.m. and spread out across the community from there.