Buses and boxes will be set up outside of several grocery stores across Chatham-Kent on Saturday, collecting donations for area food banks.
CK Helping Hands is heading up "Fill the Bus" and "Fill the Box" donation drives, which started during the pandemic and run multiple times a year.
Tim Haskell with CK Helping Hands said the latest statistics from the Outreach for Hunger Food Bank in Chatham show the number of people who are reaching out for help locally continues to rise.
"We're trying to bring awareness to our food banks across Chatham-Kent, it's not just [Outreach for Hunger] that has those numbers," says Haskell. "I'm sure they've all increased over the past year."
Outreach for Hunger reported helping 2,755 individuals every four to six weeks so far in 2024 -- that's up from the 2,316 individuals they helped every four to six weeks in 2023.
Haskell said anything that is donated locally will stay within the community where it is donated.
"I'm sure [the food banks] will need financial stuff, too, so if you want to donate directly to them, they'll be happy to take it," said Haskell.
Donations will be collected at the locations listed below on Saturday, June 1, from 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Chatham
Real Canadian Superstore, Food Basics/Dollar Tree, No Frills, Giant Tiger, Sobeys
Blenheim
Sobeys
Ridgetown
Foodland
Wallaceburg
No Frills, Dollar Tree
Tilbury
No Frills
Dresden
North Dresden Baptist Church (182 Trerice Street West)
The group will be holding its next "Fill the Bus" event on August 17 for a back-to-school food donation drive.