Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Parksville Volunteer Fire Department food and toy drive will look very different.
There will be no door-to-door collection in neighbourhoods. Firefighters will be at locations in Parksville on Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15 to collect cash donations for the Salvation Army food bank. Physically distanced and masked, firefighters will be at the set locations (to be announced, details will be released as soon as they are available) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. asking residents for cash donations to help “fill the boots for food”.
Donations are important to the Salvation Army food bank and Society of Organized Services (SOS) to provide for the less-fortunate. Donations can also be made to the SOS Caring for Community at Christmas, at 245 West Hirst Ave. The program starts Nov. 16, and toys can be dropped off every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
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Additional donations can also be made to the food bank, at 886 Wembley Rd. Donations are accepted Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Each year, residents in the Parksville Fire Protection Area support the annual drive and are the reason for its success with approximately 29,500 pounds of food and $34,070 cash collected in 2019.
— NEWS Staff, submitted