The Salvation Army Windsor is holding their second annual World Homeless Food Drive this weekend.
On October 12, the Salvation Army Windsor Centre of Hope is recognizing World Homeless Day with a Windsor-wide food drive.
The drive is to raise awareness and to help fill their food bank ahead of the winter months as they have been low in supplies ever since the beginning of last year.
Community partners such as Loblaws, Metro, No Frills, Tailgate Takeout, Windsor Police and LaSalle Police will be organizing the "stuff a cruiser" and "stuff a tailgate" at various locations around the city.
Jason Linton, Executive Director of Salvation Army Windsor Centre of Hope, says this event is crucial to help local families.
"So participants, or donors, will have the opportunity to give a non-perishable food item or items, and fill up a police cruiser or a tailgate with those items. So we're going to be at seven locations across Windsor this Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m."
He says there are certain items the Salvation Army needs.
"We're actually very much in need of pasta, pasta sauce, canned vegetables, canned soup, cereal or oatmeal, those are really things that fly off of our shelves in our food banks."
Linton says nearly 30 per cent of those served at the centre are children and teens aged 18 and younger.
"On average we assist more than 600 families per month. So, families who have never needed help before are now turning to us to it's making it more crucial than ever to be ready for them."
Last year, the centre was able to collect over 2,000 pounds of food and $3,000 in cash to help the food bank. The goal this year is to collect over 3,000 pounds of food.
Monetary donations will also be welcomed.
The drive will take place between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. at seven locations.
Those locations include:
- Superstore located at 2430 Dougall Avenue
- Superstore located at 4371 Walker Road
- Zehrs located at 400 Manning Road in Tecumseh
- Zehrs located at 5890 Malden Road
- Tony and Kathy No Frills located at 3975 Wyandotte Street East
- Metro located at 3663 Tecumseh Road East
- Metro located at 3100 Howard Avenue