Pickering Cares

Here is the text from an article in The News Advertiser, Pickering Edition May 9th, 2012
(You can find the article here:http://www.durhamregion.com/community/article/1350622--pickering-cares-launches-community-food-drive)

Pickering Cares launches community food drive

Collections to benefit area food banks

PICKERING -- The battle to combat hunger continues in Pickering with the third annual Community Food Drive campaign.

Organized by Pickering Cares, the food drive will collect donations for St. Paul's-on-the-Hill and Salvation Army food banks. On May 12 volunteers will collect donations from homes to benefit the community food banks, with more than 25,000 Pickering homes included in the campaign area.

Donations can be dropped off at all Pickering fire halls or at the drop box in the Pickering Town Centre at the Zellers entrance until May 19.

"This year we're pleased that the Pickering Town Centre has come on board to support our efforts," said Mike Fischer, project manager for the food drive.

'Going into our third year we were looking at doing something a little different, and the team has really come through with something great."

Donation bags were distributed to homes through the News Advertiser on May 3 and people are being asked to leave donation bags on their porches by 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 12, when volunteers will come around to collect items. Food will be sorted and packed at the Amberlea Church and then delivered to the food banks.

In 2011, more than 300 volunteers spent over 2,000 hours helping with the Community Food Drive campaign. As a result, 10,491 pounds of much-needed food was collected and split between both food banks.

The team is hoping to exceed these numbers for 2012 and volunteers are still needed to help with collection. Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up via e-mail at pickeringcaresvolunteers@gmail.com These hours qualify as volunteer hours for Grade 9 through 12 students.