The 16th annual BC Thanksgiving Food Drive starts this week, with a 2023 goal of over 800,000 lbs. of donated food. (BC Thanksgiving Food Drive 2023 Facebook Page)

By Jordan Davidson

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Thanksgiving Food Drive goes province-wide this week

Sep 18, 2023 | 5:29 AM

NANAIMO — With Thanksgiving only a few weeks away, local food banks will be getting stocked up with all the essentials for turkey day.

The 2023 BC Thanksgiving Food Drive starts this week, with bags being dropped off at thousands of B.C. homes starting Monday, Sept. 18 until Friday, Sept. 22.

Rossy Lyle, director of the Vancouver Island portion of the food drive, said they provide the bags, and all people have to do is fill them with non-perishable food items.

“Then on Saturday, (Sept. 23), the same people that dropped off the bags will come by and pick them up… The collected bags are weighed and then the total amount is recorded.”

Last year, over 6,000 lbs. of food was donated in the Nanaimo area.

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Suggested food donations include canned chicken, turkey, fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grain rice, boxed turkey stuffing, and baby formula.

Lyle said around 5,000 bags will be dropped off at households in the Harbour City this week, depending on the specific community and the number of volunteers.

When dropping the full bags outside your home for pick-up on Sept. 23, make sure the bag is visible from the road.

“There is also the option of contributing online,” said Lyle. “There’s a BC Thanksgiving Food Drive opportunity to donate and that might be another option for people that may not get bags at their doors but would still like to participate.”

Local donations will be forwarded to the Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank.

Anyone looking to pick up a Thanksgiving food hamper can go to their website nanaimloavesandfishes.org, or give them a call at 250-754-8347.

For more information or to make a monetary donation online, you can click here to go to bctfooddrive.org.

Last year, over 674,000 lbs. of food was donated across the province during this campaign, with over 5,000 volunteers assisting 250,000 households across 86 communities since the initiative began in 2008.

Donations in Nanaimo will go to Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank for organization and distribution. (Submitted/BC Thanksgiving Food Drive)

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow