Quality Foods, RBC Royal Bank and the Alberni Valley News are teaming up for a holiday food drive this week.
In today’s issue of the News you’ll find a grocery bag from Quality Foods; we’re asking our readers to consider putting some non-perishable food items in the bags and dropping them off at either Quality Foods on 10th Avenue or Royal Bank on Third Avenue. The food will go toward food bank programs in the Alberni Valley.
People can donate to the Royal Bank food drive in a number of ways in addition to the Quality Foods bags, branch manager Matei Mateias said. The bank has put out collection boxes at its Third Avenue branch where people can donate individual non-perishable food items. The bank is also selling bags that have already been filled with food for $10.
“We sell the bags and we donate the food,” Mateias said.
Mateias also wanted to ensure the food banks received some cash donations, so the bank bought 10 of the pre-made grocery bags and will donate the cash raised from selling these particular bags.
Bank staff has also collected another $100 from clients.
Anyone wishing to purchase a pre-made bag may do so at the reception desk or any teller.
The food drive will continue until just before Christmas “so we have enough time to sell all the bags and get them to the food bank before Christmas,” he added.
Last year the bank collected two boxes of food and $200, which was donated to the Salvation Army’s food bank.
The Royal Bank has a number of other initiatives on the go this Christmas, Mateias said, including the adoption of a classroom in need of books.
The Quality Foods newspaper bag promotion is carried out annually in a co-ordinated effort up and down Vancouver Island and will help out a number of food bank programs.
editor@albernivalleynews.com