A little more than a week after Feed Nova Scotia put out a call for more donations, the organization has been inundated with an outpouring of support from the community.
Last Tuesday, the organization revealed their stocks were “critically low” and some food banks had resorted to turning away clients.
Since then, 47,000 kg of food has been brought in through food drives and corporate donors. However, that still falls short of the 300,000 kg Feed Nova Scotia needs this summer to adequately serve all the food banks and meal programs in the province.
READ MORE: Feed Nova Scotia food bank stocks ‘critically low,’ donations needed
“During the month of July, we would normally support about 17 food drives that are going on around the province. Since Tuesday, 107 food drives have been registered, so we’re thrilled about that,” said executive director Nick Jennery.
“We are a long way from being able to manage our way through the summer months but this is a really great start and it’s so inspiring to see people coming out and respond.”
Terry and Cathy Wagner dropped off a minivan full of food on Thursday afternoon that was collected as part of a friendly competition between three subdivisions.
“It’s been heartwarming because I’ve seen people cleaning out their pantries and saying, ‘Here take it.’ Other people are going to the stores and buying a bunch of stuff and bringing it in,” said Cathy.
“It was shocking to see it all in the van — all the way to the top. It was amazing.”
Donations have been so plentiful, Feed Nova Scotia is currently storing some of it in a separate warehouse. They are now looking for more volunteers to help sort the items.