The Yellowknife Food Bank will be holding a mobile food drive on Sunday after its shelves were left nearly empty last weekend.

Cherish Winsor, president of the food bank, of the bare shelves on Facebook over MotherSA国际影视传媒檚 Day weekend urging Yellowknifers to donate.

The post has now been shared 141 times and over a thousand people have viewed it, said Winsor.

SA国际影视传媒淭he community response has been amazing,SA国际影视传媒� said Winsor. SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e been contacted by three schools doing food drives.SA国际影视传媒�

Businesses and other organizations have also stepped up to donate money in the wake of the call for donations.

Sunday food drive

The organization will be holding a outside various grocery stores this weekend.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e going to have different vehicles parked at the different grocery stores around town for a couple of hours with some signage," said Winsor.

She hopes people will buy groceries to donate and drop them off on their way out of the store.

SA国际影视传媒淗opefully weSA国际影视传媒檒l have our shelves filled again for another few months,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

The biggest things the food bank needs right now are non-perishables like canned soups and vegetables, said Winsor.

The organization has also posted a on its Facebook page.

SA国际影视传媒淥bviously people arenSA国际影视传媒檛 able to meet their needs right now and we have to fill that gap. Somebody has to be there to fill those needs and make sure people arenSA国际影视传媒檛 going hungry.SA国际影视传媒�

Seasonal shortages

It's not unusual for food bank donations to lull during this time of year, said Winsor.

The food bank distributes food baskets every two weeks. But in the past during spring and summer, they've done just one distribution day a month to help stretch donations. 

SA国际影视传媒淏ut this year weSA国际影视传媒檙e not going to want to do that," she said.
"If we run out of food, weSA国际影视传媒檙e going to have go down to less distribution days."

In the past they've done this because thereSA国际影视传媒檚 been less of a need, Winsor explained. But if distribution slows this year, it will be due to lower donations, not lower demand. 

SA国际影视传媒淚f (the Sunday food) drive doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 give us enough, weSA国际影视传媒檒l have back off because we know it wonSA国际影视传媒檛 be until the fall that we get another big shipment of food," she said.

The food bank relies on food drives put on by other organizations like Moose FM's 'Stuff the Bus', and seasonal food drives around Christmas. This was evident in the food bank's current stock - while they're running low on essentials like canned soups and vegetables, there's no shortage of canned cranberry sauce.

SA国际影视传媒淚n the fall we normally get so much that it kind of brings us through this time of year anyway and then our small donations kind of fill in the gaps," Winsor said. 

"But this year we didnSA国际影视传媒檛 quite get as much as we normally would and weSA国际影视传媒檝e had a bigger need this year too so weSA国际影视传媒檝e seen a lot more clients come through.SA国际影视传媒�

The food bank doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 collect any personal information about its clients so itSA国际影视传媒檚 hard to gauge exactly how many people they serve.

SA国际影视传媒淟ast distribution we had over a dozen new clients so itSA国际影视传媒檚 not even necessarily the same ones all the time,SA国际影视传媒� said Winsor.

On average, they give out about $6000 worth of food each month, and during January, their busiest month, that number peaks at $9000 said Winsor.

The food bank's distribution days fall on the second and fourth Saturday of the month. Single and family-sized baskets of basic grocery staples are distributed to those who need it through SideDoor Resource Centre.

The family-sized baskets have a little bit more than the single ones, but both are packed with staples like pasta or rice, pasta sauce, tuna, canned vegetables and soups, and peanut butter. Perishables like bread, eggs, lard, flour and salt get added in on the day of if clients want them.

SA国际影视传媒淥ur focus is just on meeting that need every two weeks," said Winsor.

"WeSA国际影视传媒檇 like to look more at food security and whatSA国际影视传媒檚 happening in the city but our capacity just isnSA国际影视传媒檛 there right now. So thatSA国际影视传媒檚 a bit of a long-term plan for our organization - to look at those factors and why weSA国际影视传媒檙e seeing those needs.SA国际影视传媒�