The London Food Bank is hoping for a last-minute surge of donations to its Thanksgiving food drive.
As of Friday, the 11-day food drive is short roughly 2,500 pounds of food compared to the same time in 2017.
"Thursday we got in about 6,500 pounds of food, which was great, but it is still less than this time last year," said Glen Pearson, co-executive director of the London Food Bank. "Right now we are at 24,915 lbs of food. Last year at this time we were at 27,483 lbs."
Just over 3,400 families a month rely on the food bank's services. When combined with the 23 other local agencies offering food hamper programs in the city, the number of families being fed jumps to 6,000 a month. The food bank gives 60 per cent of the food donated through the Thanksgiving drive to those local non-profit agencies to distribute, and hands out the remaining 40 per cent itself.
Despite the dip in donations, Pearson is optimistic those heading to the grocery store this weekend will give generously.
"This is our 30th year of doing this particular drive and it always sags in the middle and then when people hear it is down a bit they all come out," said Pearson. "We will have volunteers at the grocery stores this weekend handing out bags. It is interesting when you don't have that at the grocery store we end up getting half as much. People going in and out aren't really thinking about it. It is the handing out of the bag that helps them think about donating. So we get twice as much when a volunteer is at the grocery store."
While food donations have lagged slightly, Pearson did note the food bank has received an increased number of financial donations, many specifying they would like their money to go toward the purchase of fresh food.
The Thanksgiving food drive continues through holiday Monday. Donations can be dropped off at any London fire hall, grocery stores, or at the London Food Bank warehouse at 926 Leathorne St.
