The Okotoks Food Bank's largest food drive of the year is coming up.
The annual event is organized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and officially began on Wednesday (Sept. 18) when they left bags on people's front doors to be filled with donations for the food bank.
One of the coordinators of the food drive, Rob Court, says his team will be dropping a bag and an instruction tag off at every home in Okotoks, as well as the Heritage Pointe and Artesia neighbourhoods.
"It's dropped off today, the 18th, because it gives people three days to kind of, 'Ok, this is what we have. This is what we can donate,'" explains Court. "Then they choose what they want to donate, put it in that bag. Then on Saturday (September 21st) morning at about 10 o'clock, or 10:15, families will drive around the route that they dropped the bags off on the Wednesday looking for bags that people have put out on their doorstep."
From there, the food will be brought to the Okotoks Food Bank, where it will be weighed and sorted.
Any donated food past its expiration date will be given to farmers to use as feed for their animals.
"So, it is a huge endeavour, but it's absolutely wonderful, I would even say miraculous, in terms of saying how the community comes together for a good purpose. Right now, [the Okotoks Food Bank] shelves aren't exactly empty, but certainly, they need this boost, especially as we move into the winter months, and Christmas when, maybe, money in people's bank accounts is a little bit stretched and the food bank is used a little bit more by the community."
He adds that this food drive will help to fill the food bank's shelves, helping them to feed people until after Christmas.
Last year, the food drive brought in about 34,000 pounds of food.
Because they are including Heritage Pointe and Artesia in the food drive this year, there are about 800 or 900 more homes that will get a bag to fill as part of this year's drive.
Court is hoping that with the extra homes this year, they can collect 37,000 pounds of food or more.
This food drive has been happening for over ten years in Okotoks.
Every contribution is needed, says Court.
"I can't express how grateful I am and how grateful we are for community support."