The 2022 version of the annual Thanksgiving Day food drive in Quesnel was a resounding success.
Russell Higdon, one of the organizers, goes over some of the numbers.
“Last year we received 7,848 pounds of food. This year we received 8,192, so about 344 more pounds of food or 4 percent more than last year.”
Higdon says this year’s amount was a new record, and he says it was achieved with fewer bags.
“About 679 bags were returned this year, versus 719 last year. So we actually received more bags last year, fewer bags this year, but the amount of food in each bag was more this year. The bag return rate was about 20 percent this year, versus 25 percent last year.”
Higdon says the food will now go to feed local people in need.
“Once we accumulate all the food from all of the gracious volunteers that do all of these bag routes for us, we weigh it at the truck scale and then we take it to the Salvation Army Food Bank in Quesnel on Mclean Street. The volunteers there receive the food and it stays in our local community supporting families and individuals that are struggling and need some support.”
Higdon says this food will help the Food Bank get through the Christmas season, and into the New Year.
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