Business Cares Food Drive returns for 19th year

Organizers of the Business Cares Food Drive are betting on the generosity of Londoners this holiday season as they look to collect more than 435,000 pounds of food in support of the London and Area Food Bank.

The annual campaign, now in its 19th year, kicked off Friday morning with a special event at Western University’s London Hall accompanied by members of The Grand Theatre’s High School Project production of “Prom Queen.” The drive runs until Dec. 21.

“We need lots of help from the community, really, to make our goal over the duration of the campaign,” said campaign chair Wayne Dunn.

“Our campaign goal is always a pound more than the previous year,” he said. “So it’s a pretty lofty goal that we have, it’s 435,000 pounds plus one.”

Food and monetary donations to the campaign all go toward the London and Area Food Bank, which provides emergency food items to nearly 3,400 families a month, according to the campaign. Thirty-seven per cent are youth under 17.

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Food collected will last through the months of January, February, and March.

“It’s important to know the demand is there… People use the food bank for a last resort, and that’s where Business Cares really helps out is the whole community.”

Several events aimed at increasing donations to the drive are planned over the next three weeks, including a “Grocery Store Weekend” which takes place Saturday and Sunday. Volunteers with the campaign will be stationed at grocery stores across the city to take food, cash, and cheque donations.

The campaign is also bringing back it’s “Be a Fan, Bring a Can” initiative, where Londoners are asked to bring non-perishable food items when they go to see a London Knights game at Budweiser Gardens. (This year’s games are on Dec. 7, 14, and 16.)

Those looking to help out can drop off donations to any London RBC branch, YMCA, or Finch Auto Group location, in addition to the Business Cares HQ, Covent Garden Market, and the London and District Construction Assoc.

Cash and cheque donations go toward obtaining what hasn’t been donated through the campaign with food, Dunn said, noting donations to the campaign have become half food and half money.

“We tax receipt anything over $20. All the money that comes in — and it will be significant, we hope — we put that towards fresh produce, eggs, baby foods, diapers, feminine products, and we’re now giving them fresh meat and freezing it, too.

“On the food side, we’re really looking for nutrition, people buying nutritious things that people would like to have around the table.”

Food is also being collected by local companies through their staff members and business operations. That food will be picked up over the course of three days beginning Dec. 18.

On the Dec. 21, the last day of the drive, Dunn says all of the food collected will be at the Business Cares south London warehouse where a celebration will take place.

“We weigh it, say a few stories from the campaign, take it down to the food bank, and it’s just a wonderful sight and feeling for all those who have been a part of it,” he said.

“Demand at the food bank continues to be there. I don’t see an end to this drive whatsoever, however, I do see the generosity of people year-in-year-out that really do help at this time of the year.”

Details on how and where to donate can be found ast businesscares.ca.

With files from Natalie Lovie