More than 100 athletes, coaches, staff and volunteers from the Alberni District Secondary School athletic department filled the Salvation Army’s truck full of food during their annual food drive last Wednesday.
Participants spilled into buses and went door-to-door asking for food donations for the food bank.
The annual December food drive is the Armadas’ way of giving back to the community that supports them so well, says athletic director Mike Roberts.
“It’s all the Armada Athletic department teams, from dance and cheer to basketball and rugby, and all the coaches,” he said.
The department has been doing the food drive for five years now.
“We thought, how can we as a department give back? It was ad hoc the first year—it’s just blossomed.”
This year they had seven buses and two trucks taking students and volunteers out door to door.
“We can’t physically get to every door, but we do our best.”
(Story continues below)
The students’ efforts are appreciated, said Lt. Michele Cale of the Salvation Army. “They serve 575 individuals each month (at the food bank); 200 of them are kids,” she said. “The number are up since last year.”
The food bank saw 11 new families sign up last March, which is when a hunger count is done, Salvation Army’s Marilyn Burrows said.
“We have a 25 per cent increase in children over last year.”
The Salvation Army also served 400 Christmas hampers last year, and Cale is expecting similar numbers this year.
Anyone wishing to donate to the Port Alberni Community Food Bank can search the Facebook page to see what items are needed, or where to drop items off.
