‘It gives special meaning to Thanksgiving’: Holiday food drive on record pace after recent donations

With one day to go in the London Food Bank’s (LFB) Thanksgiving Food Drive, officials are not only thrilled, but surprised by the community response.

Serving 6,000 families per month and helping 30 agencies, the generosity of Londoners is essential because the demand for food is so high.

“I don't think we expected this year to be so good because last year was a banner year, but here it is holding par with that,” said Glen Pearson, co-executive director of the LFB.

“It gives it kind of special meaning to Thanksgiving. I think people just feel that they want to be part of community.”

Volunteers sort donations at the London Food Bank for the 36th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. (Nick Paparella/CTV London)

Those people include the Heussner and Henson family in East London, Ont.

They were loading up a vehicle to drop off donations after collecting at their Halloween display on Admiral Drive.

“We are here every weekend for the month of October,” said Jeff Heussner.

“This year, we are collecting food bank donations and we're just trying to help the community out. We're just trying to help those people in need.”

The Admiral Inn has animatronics and even live actors on Friday and Saturday nights, weather permitting.

(L-R) Tyler Hart, Ryan Henson, Andrew Henson, Carlie Henson and Jeff Heussner hold donations for the London Food Bank which were collected at their Halloween Display at 270 Admiral Drive in London, Ont. (Brent Lale/CTV London)

This weekend, they collected dozens of bags and boxes worth of donations.

As the food drive enters the home stretch, recent donations have put them above record pace.

“The Ivy Business School had a food drive for us and they came in yesterday with boxes and boxes,” said Pearson.

“We’ve never quite seen anything like it. We're up around 81,000 pounds now, so we're even with last year, but the food still coming in.”

Pearson said with the drive wrapping up Monday, the easiest way to help is to go to their website to donate.

Andrew Henson (right) and Jeff Heussner load up a vehicle with donations to the London Food Bank on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV London)

“We've seen a big uptake this year of people donating online,” said Pearson.

“They go to London Food Bank and they donate online because that gives us choices to get food for other agencies.”

Pearson will reveal the statistics of the food drive later this week and plans to give his staff Monday off for Thanksgiving.

“Come Tuesday, we'll be right back at it again, sorting all that food,” said Pearson.