Leave food donations on doorsteps Saturday
Organizers are prepped and excited for the Welland Food Drive on Saturday.
And volunteers will be ready to collect food, too, in Port Colborne.
Leslie Bellingham, donor relations manager for Open Arms Mission, said recent media coverage has encouraged people to reach out to volunteer for Welland’s food drive. Because of that, there are now enough volunteers for the day.
“The best way people can participate now is by giving generously on food drive morning,” she said via email.
The most needed food items are tuna, salmon, canned fruit and granola bars. Other much needed items include hygiene products such as shampoo, body wash, diapers and especially feminine hygiene products. She said feminine hygiene products are the most needed for Open Arms’ hygiene bank.
“We are really looking forward to Saturday. It is a very important day for us where most of the food we give out is collected on that one day,” Bellingham said of Open Arms specifically.
The food drive supplies food and hygience products to the mission, Hope Centre and Salvation Army.
Bellingham said Open Arms could use help with sorting the food after the drive. She said if anyone is available to come to the Ministry Campus in the weeks following the food drive, that would be great. Anyone interested in helping out at the campus at 933 Forks Rd. W. can reach out to Bryon Pettit, Ministry Campus manager at 289- 690- 0122.
Residents leaving items out for the Welland Food Drive are asked to have them by their doorsteps by 9: 30 a. m. Saturday. After that, food drive volunteers will be coming around to pick up the food between 10 a. m. and 1 p. m. Sorters, packers and drivers will meet at Auberge Richelieu.
Port Colborne and Wainfleet Lions Club members are organizing Saturday’s food drive to the south, with the support of about 300 volunteers
Drivers, food runners, packers and sorters will meet at Christian Life Assembly Church, 484 Barrick Rd., at 8 a. m. to register.
Non- perishable food items should be left in visible locations on doorsteps or porches starting at 9 a. m. when volunteers fan out across multiple routes through the city.