If you're thinking about hosting a holiday food drive this year, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada is making it easy to get started.
They're handing out collection bins in the lower parking lot of the Grand Sierra Resort from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 5.
"These food drives are open to everyone," said Jocelyn Lantrip with the Food Bank. "You can do one with your family, your church, your business. Anyone can host a food drive and make a difference."
These holiday drives bring in hundreds of thousands of pounds of donations, and the need is even greater this year. The Food Bank is still serving record numbers.
"Right now we're serving about 106,000 people a month," Lantrip said. "That's a number that's higher than we've ever seen before. "There are still so many children in our area that don't know where their next meal is coming from. So when you host these food drives, let people know what you're doing and why you're doing it, and they will donate."
It's unclear exactly how the pandemic will affect collection efforts this holiday season, but every little bit helps.
"Every can makes a difference," Lantrip said. "We're always in need of protein items, one-dish meals, there are some shortage of soups in the food chain so we're looking for soup, fruits, vegetables, all non-perishable."
It's a way to help fill shelves across the region.
"We really need food that's going to last awhile because we need time to get it to our 147 partner agencies across the state so they can get it to families in rural areas; there's a lot of places we serve," Lantrip said. "We are looking ahead several months into the future, getting food in the door, so we can serve people who need it, and so are our partners; they are often small pantries struggling to get enough food to feed those that rely on them so this really helps us fill that need."
You can sign up here.
