What Are the Food Bank's Needs this Year?

The annual Blow Away Hunger food drive takes place Thursday at the Southern Plains Co-op locations in Estevan, Carlyle, and Oxbow. Demand for the food bank has increased, and certain items are particularly needed.

Food Banks Canada reported a 20-per-cent increase in visits to food banks across the country in late October.

Ronza Reynard, director of ministry for the Salvation Army in Estevan and Weyburn, said she's seeing more and more people turning to the food bank.

"The need is there. It's going to always be there I think. It's something that we're just going to be getting used to. We're seeing more and more people access the food bank on a regular basis. And we're seeing new people come who haven't maybe come to us before for any kind of assistance."

Reynard said non-perishable food items are their biggest ask, but they're open to all kinds of contributions.

"We're really looking for some soup, canned pork and beans, canned vegetables, canned meats, coffee, coffee mate, we're always looking for cereal. We like to get that in every hamper. Pancake mix, some pancake syrup. Really we're taking pretty much anything."

She said financial donations help them with perishable items like milk, potatoes, and butter, and can be handy for purchasing more groceries to fill their shelves.

Diapers are not in high demand. The Salvation Army will typically give those to their partners, such as the Estevan Family Resource Centre, when there's an abundance. But hygiene products, such as soap, shampoo, and toilet paper are very helpful.

Last year's food drive netted 1,200 pounds of food and $1,300 in donations during the 12-hour broadcast, which you can listen to across all three Estevan radio stations. And another $1,000 donation was made shortly after.

"It's important that we keep ourselves full, and it's important that the community gets behind us and helps us," said Reynard. "It's community helping community, that's what it is."

The event put on by DiscoverEstevan, CJ 1150, Rock 106, and Sun 102 runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Estevan, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Carlyle and Oxbow.

You can win a cart from Wood Country by making a donation, and helping fill the trailer supplied by Johnson Bros Equipment Rentals.