‘Twas a week before Christmas
And our hearts they had sank
With tales of empty tables
They were busy at the food bank
At this time of year
With so many in need
We ask you to help
Us the people to feed
It’s time once again
For the Christmas Food Drive
For thirty-six years
We’ve kept it alive
The pandemic has made it
More important than ever
To give to the food bank
So please let’s remember
On December nineteenth
When you go grocery shopping
Look for the bus
And please keep us hopping
With a bus at your store
From ten until five
Buy extra canned goods
For our annual food drive
We’ll be at different stores
Loblaws, No Frills and others
Real Canadian Superstore
And Your Independent Grocers
Give non-perishable items
Or donate online
On the food bank’s web page
A form you will find
So, when you’re filling your cart
With food that is yummy
Please think of those others
And help put food in their tummy
Santa’s helpers are there
But no contact this year
So place your stuff in the bin
To spread Christmas cheer
With the bin filled up
To the food bank we’ll go
Saying Merry Christmas to all
From Ho Ho HO C Transpo
Ottawa – The City of Ottawa, along with Loblaw Companies Limited, will be collecting food and cash donations for the 36th annual OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive to benefit the Ottawa Food Bank on Saturday, December 19 from 10 am to 5 pm.
The collection process is changing this year because of COVID-19. Additional measures have been put in place to help keep everyone safe. OC Transpo buses will be parked outside participating Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, Your Independent Grocer, and No Frills stores across Ottawa. They will serve as a visual reminder that the annual food drive is happening this Saturday, and that you can donate at the store. Volunteers will be on site to engage with you from a safe distance. You can place your non-perishable food donations directly in a bin outside each store All donations received will go directly to the Ottawa Food Bank, FAMSAC Food Cupboard, Stittsville Food Bank, and the Kanata Food Cupboard.
OC Transpo will be collecting non-perishable food items. Cash donations are also welcome, either through cashiers at most locations or online at ottawafoodbank.ca/octranspo. For every dollar you give, the Ottawa Food Bank can deliver about $5 worth of food to the community.
The Ottawa Food Bank’s Michael Street warehouse distributes 14 tons of food every day. This provides 112 member agencies with supplies to provide to tens of thousands of people each month, with 37 per cent of them being children.
For more information, including participating store locations, please visit octranspo.com.
