The 3rd Annual 89.3 CFOS FM Community Food Drive is coming up.
It’s set to go Friday, December 5th from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The 89.3 CFOS FM morning show will be broadcasting live from Zehrs in Owen Sound that day.
Alice Wannan, Salvation Army Community Family Service Director and Manager for Owen Sound and Saugeen Shores says, “This year we are certainly seeing higher numbers and we anticipate just even these months as the weather changes and Christmas happens that those numbers will continue to rise.”
“We are certainly seeing a shift in the number of families. Parents that are working one or two jobs but with children and just not able to make it. Families that are supporting their adult parents or adult parents that are now supporting older children. Trying to help them. The need is really, truly overwhelming,” says Wannan.
She says in September the Salvation Army assisted 1,434 individuals in the community with food. “That’s a once-a month kind of service that we provide,” says Wannan, adding they’re seeing a lot of seniors and families.
Volunteers from the Salvation Army and from 89.3 CFOS will be at No Frills, Foodland, Metro, Food Basics and Fresh Co. as well as Zehrs throughout the day to collect donations of non-perishable food items and monetary donations.
Wannan says money that is donated is spent locally. “It allows us to go and purchase what we need. We are big flyer shoppers and we watch for those sales to come on,” noting the grocery stores are very supportive of the work the Salvation Army is doing.
They enable the Salvation Army and other local volunteers to prepare bags of food for donation based on what the food bank needs, and offer them ready for purchase for those who want to donate one.
Those bags will be available at each location on the day of the food drive.
89.3 CFOS FM will also have phone lines open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 519-376-7777 for people to call and make a donation or pledge.
You can find more at 893cfos.ca