A sign at The Bargain! Shop in Fort Frances promotes a food drive for the Salvation Army, September 21, 2023. Image: Randy Thoms/Acadia Broadcasting

The Bargain! Shop is teaming up with the Salvation Army to fill its food bank.

It is an annual event coinciding with a national campaign to assist food banks leading up to Thanksgiving.

For the Salvation Army in Fort Frances, it is much-needed support.

“The demand is soaring with inflation. There’s a lot of pressure on the food bank. So this is important. It’s extremely important,” says Ryan Daw, Community and Family Services Coordinator.

Daw says they have helped a lot of seniors this year.

“I think it’s the inflation that is hitting seniors really hard, and they’re having a hard time making ends meet just on pensions. They can’t work anymore. They’re in a position where it’s pretty difficult for them,” explains Daw.

Daw says one of the asks this year is for easy-to-prepare canned food and canned fruit with a flip-up top that makes it is for seniors to open.

However, any donation is welcomed.

“Anything that would have a prolonged shelf life would definitely help just because we want to get it out to the community. If it’s sitting in the food bank for a long period of time, we can organize it and categorize it, and we don’t have a short shelf life in order to get it out,” says Daw.

Other essential food items include Kraft dinner and canned fish.

Last year’s campaign drew in more than 500 pounds of food.

Dawn Gray, Fort Frances store manager for The Bargain! Shop joins with Ryan Daw of the Salvation Army to kick off a food drive, September 21, 2023. Image: Randy Thoms/Acadia Broadcasting

“We here at The Bargain Shop want to thank the community for their continued support of our annual food drive. We strive to support the community wherever the need is, and this year, the need is helping to fill the food bank. We are excited to work with The Salvation Army to help fill their food bank and help ensure our community members have what they need to make this Thanksgiving and all days filled with good food,” says Dawn Gray, Fort Frances store manager.

The campaign will run until the end of September.