A fundraising barbeque was held at the Humboldt Co-op Wednesday by Farm Credit Canada to help bring in donations for the Humboldt Food Bank.

6500 pounds of donations was collected last year and the numbers of individuals utilizing the Food Bank unfortunately continues to increase.   

Maria Leonard, Food Bank board member talked about what kind of donations they will be accepting.

"When people come into the food bank they get fresh stuff along with canned goods, so right now we are taking in garden produce and that could be things like potatoes, carrots, in season we had lettuce coming in, beets, onions, zuccini, cucumbers. We cannot take preserved foods so dont make pickles out of your cucumbers, just bring the cucumbers in."

Donations are accepted Tuesday afternoons from 2-4 pm at the Food Bank's office when they will have volunteers on site.

The barbeque held at the Co-op was in support of FCC's "Drive Away Hunger" campaign.

Leonard said visits to the food bank are on the rise, "The number of people using the food bank right now is increasing, we are saying I think there' between 90 to 115 hampers given out a month."

Food Bank board member Maria Leonard talked about how appreciative she is towards the community and FCC.

"We want to add that we really thank the community for all the support that they are giving the Food Bank and with things like the barbeques also, but even just the community in general donating. We get no government grants or any support for the Food Bank so everything is from donations. "

250 Drive Away Hunger Donation Bags were handed out at the Summer Sizzler parade for people to return to the office or bring to the barbeque.

The Drive Away Hunger food drive runs May to October annually and donations are still accepted year round.

To hear more from Leonard in her full interview with Clark Stork click below.