Every year since 2006, firefighters between Connaught and Mountjoy have taken an afternoon to patrol the streets, picking up donations for food banks in the city.
This year, it’s on Sunday, June 23rd, between 2:00pm and 4:00pm..
Deputy fire chief Scott Atkinson says it’s “absolutely important”.
“The fire service in general always wants to give back to the community,” he notes, “and in this day and age with what’s going on with all cities across Ontario, whatever we can do to help them out and to stock those shelves in the food banks.”
Atkinson says volunteers are welcome – including high schoolers – and that food bank donations can be dropped off to fire stations any time, 24/7.
Timmins Food Bank chairman Rick Young says it’s the most important, biggest food drive of the year.
“Right now, we’re looking for cereal and canned goods – canned meat, canned vegetables, canned fruit, peanut butter and jam, that’s the ones that are most needed,” he states.
Young says client numbers are even higher than pre-Covid.
You can hear our interviews with Young and Atkinson right here.