Thanksgiving food drive comes as demand is up and donations are down

The Ottawa Food Bank is appealing for help this Thanksgiving, with food donations down 30 per cent.

Each month, Bessie Giovanopoulos, along with her family and friends, come to the Ottawa Food Bank to volunteer, helping to sort the food that is delivered to dozens of food cupboards across the city. But over the summer months, volunteers were turned away due to a food shortage.

"It's important to give back to the community and it was sad when we didn't have enough food over the summer," says Giovanopoulos, a member of the Daughters of Penelope organization. "Our September shift was cancelled and September is an important month for back to school and families that are starting their routines again."

Demand for the Ottawa Food Bank's services has reached unprecedented levels. Last year, there were more than 400,000 visits to the city's network of food banks. This year, it's expected to jump while food donations remain at a 30 per cent shortfall.

"Our spending on food purchases has gone up to over $6 million, and that is going to make sure that families and individuals in need have the fresh and non-perishable foods they need," says Ottawa Food Bank director of communications Tricia Johnson, adding that the continued spending is not sustainable. "We need all the help to tackle this problem. We need everybody in our community to give what they can to make sure they all have what's needed to live."

On Saturday, grocery stores across the city will participate in the Thanks for Giving Food Drive, where volunteers will be encouraging shoppers to give what they can.

Many of the stores will have pre-packaged bags to make donating easier.

A list of participating grocers and other ways to donate and volunteer, can be found on the Ottawa Food Bank website.