Newark Neighbours’ porch pick-up food drive is fast approaching and more donations are needed. 

“Right now, we’re a bit short,” Newark Neighbours board chair Cindy Grant said this week.

She’s hoping that changes before the food drive starts Saturday. It runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Members of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Rotary Club, NOTL Kinsmen Club and St. Davids Lions Club are collaborating with Newark to make the pick-ups. 

Thanksgiving items like stuffing mix, canned cranberry sauce, canned gravy and apple or cranberry juice are needed, Grant said.

They’re also looking for applesauce, gravy mix and a variety of canned items like green beans, corn, peas and fruit. 

Donations will be packaged into Thanksgiving hampers for clients of Newark Neighbours.

The food bank is seeing unprecedented numbers with 44 new families this year alone, Grant said.  

There are now 109 families registered at the food bank, which equals nearly 220 individuals, she said.

“This is the highest we’ve had,” said Grant. 

She’s hoping between now and Saturday more people register to donate to the food drive, since participation is a bit lower than last year. 

Grant urges anyone interested in registering their address for Saturday to call 905-468-7498 or email newarkneighbours1@gmail.com up until the morning of the food drive. 

If anyone misses the pick-up, Grant said they can still drop off donations next week at the food bank at 1534 Niagara Stone Rd. in Virgil.