Ottawa – The City of Ottawa, with Loblaw Companies Limited and the Ottawa Food Bank, officially kicked off this year’s 32nd Annual OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive today.

“The Annual OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive is Ottawa’s largest annual food drive, and fills a need when many individuals and families are struggling to make ends meet,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “Whether you donate a can of soup, a box of cereal or a monetary gift, your support will go a long way to help make the holiday season a little brighter for those in our community who are less fortunate.”

The Ottawa Food Bank has launched a new and exciting initiative this year to help make donating easier than ever. The Virtual Food Drive is a new interactive website where donors can go shopping in a virtual grocery store. With every dollar donated, the Ottawa Food Bank can purchase about $5 worth of food due to its wholesale purchasing power. The Virtual Food Drive can be accessed on octranspo.com.

“This food drive is an important annual event that touches the lives of so many in our city,” said Councillor Stephen Blais, Chair of the Transit Commission. “In the spirit of sharing and giving, let’s work together to fill the bins in the Ottawa Food Bank’s warehouse. If you can’t make it in person this year, you can support this great cause with an online donation. Together, we can make this year’s food drive a great success!”

“The Ottawa Food Bank and the OC Transpo/Loblaw Christmas Food Drive have been hand-in-hand for over three decades,” said Michael Maidment, Executive Director of the Ottawa Food Bank. “We look forward to this event every year. It comes at such a critical time, and is pivotal to helping us provide for people in need this winter.”

Donations are being accepted on Saturday, December 3, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. at 20 participating Loblaws®, Loblaw GreatFood®, Real Canadian Superstore®, Your Independent Grocer®, and nofrills® locations across Ottawa.

Now in its 32nd year, the annual food drive is a partnership between OC Transpo and Loblaw Companies Limited in co-operation with the Ottawa Food Bank. All food and cash donations donated during the food drive will be distributed through the Ottawa Food Bank, the Family Service Association of Churches Food Cupboard located in Nepean, the Stittsville Food Bank and the Kanata Food Cupboard.

Locations for the 32nd Annual 2016 OC Transpo/Loblaw 
Christmas Food Drive

Donations to the Ottawa Food Bank are being accepted on Saturday, December 3 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the 20 participating stores listed below:

Loblaws – 1460 Merivale Rd.
Loblaws – 59A Robertson Rd.
Loblaws – 1980 Baseline Rd.
Loblaws – 1980 Ogilvie Rd.
Loblaws – 3201 Greenbank Rd.
Loblaws – 64 Isabella St.
Loblaws – 2085 Carling Ave.
Loblaws– 1910 St Laurent Blvd.
Loblaws – 363 Rideau St.
Loblaws – 2210C Bank St.
Loblaws – 100 McArthur Rd.
Loblaws – 200 Earl Grey Dr.
Real Canadian Superstore – 190 Richmond Rd.
Real Canadian Superstore – 4270 Innes Rd.
Real Canadian Superstore – 760 Eagleson Rd.
Your Independent Grocer  – 1619 Orléans Blvd
Your Independent Grocer – 2681 Alta Vista Dr.
Your Independent Grocer – 685 River Rd.
Your Independent Grocer – 1251 Main St.
Henderickx’s nofrills – 1226 Place d’Orléans Dr.

 

For more information on the 2016 OC Transpo/Loblaw Annual Christmas Food Drive, please visit octranspo.com.