With more people using the local food bank, one of the most important food drives of the year is hitting the streets.
On Sunday, June 23, the Timmins Fire Department's food drive is back collecting food across the city from noon to 4 p.m. The donations are for the food banks in Timmins and South Porcupine.
Members and volunteers from each of the stations from Connaught to Mountjoy will be out with the fire trucks to collect donations of non-perishable food items. Donations can also be brought to the main Timmins Fire Department station on Cedar Street South 24/7.
“The fire service in general always wants to give back to the community and in this day and age with what’s going on with all cities across Ontario, whatever we can do to help them out and stock those shelves at the food banks,” said deputy chief Scott Atkinson.
The annual event has been happening since the mid-2000s.
“I’ll tell you, this is our most important food drive of the year. The firemen are very, very good, the citizens are very, very good and we just do great with it,” said the Timmins Food Bank's Rick Young.
Last week, he said there were 145 people who used the food bank in downtown Timmins.
“We’ve never had that before,” he said, explaining that usually there's between 100-110 people per week.
“Something I don’t understand now either is when they get their cheques now at the end of the month the numbers always drop about 40 or 50 per cent. Now they drop maybe five per cent, that’s it,” said Young.
“What we’re finding now is a lot of older people are turning to the food bank and that’s not right. And some of them are pretty proud too, they really don’t like being in line … but they’re getting so desperate now."
Items always in demand are cereal, canned meat, canned vegetables, canned fruit, peanut butter and jam.
Volunteers are still needed, with students being able to earn hours at the event.
"Spouses, friends, neighbours, kids, anybody that wants to come out and collect food and give us a hand, we’d be more than appreciative,” said Atkinson.
To volunteer, stop by your local fire station for noon on June 23 or call 705-360-2626.
