Grade 8 students Carolyn Seguin, Rebecca Getliffe, Madison Hamilton, Sarah Rosenbaum, and Mark Ten Haaf at the launch of the London Food Bank's Thanksgiving Food Drive at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic elementary school, September 30, 2016. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News)Grade 8 students Carolyn Seguin, Rebecca Getliffe, Madison Hamilton, Sarah Rosenbaum, and Mark Ten Haaf at the launch of the London Food Bank's Thanksgiving Food Drive at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic elementary school, September 30, 2016. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News)
London

Food Bank Extends Challenge To Londoners

Officials with the London Food Bank are hoping the spirit of giving goes viral this Thanksgiving.

The 28th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive kicks off on Saturday and runs until October 10. This year Londoners are asked to fill a bag with non-perishable food for the food bank and take a picture of it to post to social media with the hashtag #onebagchallenge. They are to then challenge five friends to do the same.

"The one bag challenge started months ago on the west coast of Canada and it's moving its way across the country," says Jane Roy, co-director of the London Food Bank. "The whole idea is to get people involved and get them socially engaged with each other."

Last year's drive brought in 70,714lbs of food to be distributed to local families in need. This year, demand for the food bank's services is up with an average of 3,528 families turning to the organization per month over the past eight months.

"We are seeing a 12.2% increase over the same period last year and that's challenging that there are more and more people in need," says Roy.

The Thanksgiving Drive was launched at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic elementary school. Students at the school have been collecting food donations over the past week.

"We have so much to give and it's a really great thing to give to other people," says Grade 8 student Carolyn Seguin. "Food is so important. It's a necessity you need to live, so the fact there are people who can't afford food is really sad."

Roughly 60% of the food collected will be distributed to other agencies including the Salvation Army, Women's Community House, and the Boys and Girls Club.

And while it's hoped the Thanksgiving Food Drive will help stock the food bank's shelves for the fall season, there remains the challenge to address the thousands of Londoners who are not in a position of "food security."

The London Poverty Research Centre at King's College estimates there 26,000 Londoners who are food insecure. That is, they do not have have consistent physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

Donations can be dropped off at local grocery stores, any of London's 14 fire halls, or at the Food Bank at 926 Leathorne St.

Read More Local Stories