Peterborough’s ‘Porch Pirates for Good’ are back on Saturday (October 28) for their eighth semi-annual porch food drive to help restock the dwindling shelves at Kawartha Food Share.
On Saturday morning, people are asked to leave a bag of non-perishable food items on their front porch. Beginning at 9 a.m., volunteers will drive around the city, collect the donated items, and deliver them to the Kawartha Food Share warehouse.
In keeping with the ‘porch pirates for good’ theme, many of the volunteers will be dressed in pirate garb. Organizers ask people to mark their bag of donated items as being for Porch Pirates for Good so volunteers can easily spot it from the street (you can download and print the flyer below if you don’t have one).
While any non-perishable food items are appreciated, items in the greatest demand include peanut butter, canned tuna, canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned soup and stew, pasta and pasta sauce, and macaroni and cheese.
Other needed items include breakfast cereal, gluten-free items including pasta, and individually packaged school snacks for children such as apple sauce, fruit cups, and chewy bars.
Needed non-food items including toiletries, feminine hygiene products, and diapers.
PDF: Porch Pirates for Good fall 2023 flyer
Porch Pirates for Good fall 2023 flyer
Kawartha Food Share assists more than 7,600 people every month through 36 member agencies. Each month, the organization serves more than 4,500 children under the age of 18.
According to Food Banks Canada’s 2023 HunterCount report, there were a record-breaking 1.9 million visits to food banks in Canada in March, far surpassing last year’s then-record number of visits. Inflationary food costs, housing costs, low wages, and low provincial social assistance rates continue to be the main reasons people visit food banks, with an increasing number of newcomers to Canada also relying on them.
Instead of donating food, you can also help by making a monetary donation — for every $1 donated, Kawartha Food Share can purchase up to $3 worth of food. Volunteers will be able to collect cheques or cash during on October 28, or you can donate online at kawarthafoodshare.com.
