(In 2020, Carlos of OC Transpo had been volunteering his time for the Fill the Bus food drive at Brown’s YIG for 15 years. He is seen here on the right with his wife along with the Stittsville Food Bank volunteers. Photo: Stittsville Central)
Residents are being asked to pick up a little something extra when they go shopping this weekend. The City of Ottawa, along with Loblaw Companies Limited, will be collecting food and cash donations for the 37th annual OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive to benefit the Ottawa Food Bank on Saturday, December 4 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The OC Transpo / Loblaw Christmas Food Drive is Ottawa’s largest annual food drive.
Brown’s Your Independent Grocer on Stittsville Main, as well as Megan and Brandon’s No Frills on Iber Road will be participating in the Saturday food drive in support of the Stittsville Food Bank.
Working in close collaboration with Ottawa Public Health (OPH), the Ottawa Food Bank and Loblaw Companies Limited, this year’s food drive will continue to incorporate extra health and safety measures to help keep everyone as safe as possible during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. OC Transpo buses will be parked outside participating Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, Your Independent Grocer, and No Frills stores across Ottawa. Volunteers will be on site to engage with you from a safe distance. All donations received will go directly to the Ottawa Food Bank, FAMSAC Food Cupboard, Stittsville Food Bank, and the Kanata Food Cupboard.
Items most needed:
- Soup
- Rice
- Pasta
- Tomato sauce
- Canned meat
- Canned fish
- Canned fruits and vegetables
- Peanut butter
- Baby food, formula and diapers
In addition to non-perishable food items, cash donations are also welcome, either through store cashiers or online at ottawafoodbank.ca/octranspo. For every dollar you give, the Ottawa Food Bank can deliver about $5 worth of food to the community.
Even in a normal year, the Ottawa Food Bank’s Michael Street warehouse distributes 14 tons of food every day. This provides 112 member agencies with supplies to provide to tens of thousands of people each month, with 37 per cent of them being children.
For more information, including participating store locations, please visit octranspo.com.