(NC) For most, the holiday season centres around food. We gather around the table with our loved ones and share a meal to celebrate without giving it a second thought. But what would the holiday season look like without the festive ham or the delicious yule log dessert that you’ve been looking forward to all year? Unfortunately, this is a reality for many Canadians.
According to Food Banks Canada’s HungerCount 2018 report, there were 1.1 million visits to food banks in March 2018 and overall, 35 per cent of those who visited the food bank last year were children.
This season, food banks across the country are asking for donations of the following perishable items: pasta sauce, rice, canned meat and fish, peanut butter, hot and cold cereal, canned fruit, stews, chili and soups, canned vegetables, beans in sauce and dry beans.
When grocery shopping in preparation to entertain our family and friends, consider picking up a few of the top needed items for your local foodbank and drop it off in the donation bin at the front of the store.
You can also take your donation one step further by asking your friends and family to bring a non-perishable item for the local food bank to your holiday event or put together a collection at work.
While non-perishable foods are always put to good use, monetary donations are also very useful for food banks, as it allows them to purchase fresh items such as produce, bread and milk for those in need.