Islanders help fill the food bank during Stratford and Area Food Drive

Volunteer Juliet Trainor, 7, was part of a crew that picked up and delivered donations to the Upper Room Food Bank during Sunday’s 28th annual Stratford and Area Food Drive. In addition to the food items, the drive also saw about $1,400 donated for items. - Terrence McEachern

The community came together once again for Sunday’s 28^th annual Stratford and Area Food Drive.

This year saw a total of 20 pallets of food items, which was on par with last year, donated to the Upper Room Food Bank.

“It’s a big day for us,” said Mike MacDonald, general manager of the food bank in Charlottetown.

This year was MacDonald’s 17^th Stratford and Area Food Drive.

He said the number of people relying on the food bank the past couple of years has been steady.

Even so, with around 1,400 people using the service last month and more than 3,000 meals served at the soup kitchen, that’s still “far too many people,” said MacDonald.

“But we’re fortunate that the community puts us in a position that we are able to support them.”

The 20 pallets collected this year, and last year, were up from the 18.5 collected in 2016.

In addition to the pallets collected this year, Elaine Fraser, the food drive’s coordinator and a board member with the food bank, said more than $1,400 was donated.

She said typically donations are picked up from about 45 apartment buildings and 43 routes that stretch as far as the Mermaid and Mount Albion.

There were 235 volunteers this year, which was well up from 175 in 2015.

They gathered at the Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Stratford at 1 p.m. and then hit the streets to gather donations.

“You’ve got two hundred plus people going door-to-door. And, it certainly makes us feel good that they’re supporting us and supporting their community in return,” MacDonald said.

MacDonald said non-perishable items were preferred. Since the drop offs were happening so quickly, it was difficult to get other items refrigerated.

Generally, the food items the organization looks for are things people use on a daily basis, such as cereal, pasta or canned goods as well as items for school lunches.

“Anything that you may use at home,” he said.

By 2:30 p.m., vehicles were lined up along Belmont Street in Charlottetown in front of the food bank to drop off donations.

“I think everybody knows how important of a service it is and may know of someone that either uses the service or may not be far from using the service. So, it touches a lot of people and I think people understand that and see the importance of it,” said MacDonald.