MARYSVILLE — The volunteers and red barrels are ready.
The annual Marysville All City Food Drive is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at stores throughout the city. Volunteers from local organizations and nonprofits will collect donations of money, food and unused toys.
The annual food and toy drive provides food for holiday baskets and helps stock the shelves at the Marysville Community Food Bank and Toy Store. A total of 6,163 people received food from the food bank last year. Of those who were served, 40 percent were children and 12 percent were seniors.
The number of families coming to the food bank so far this year is up 8 percent, said Dell Deierling, food bank director.
“We have a high reliance on the food drive for holidays,” he said. About 150 volunteers from the city of Marysville, Girl Scouts of America, HomeStreet Bank, Kiwanis, Lakewood High School, Lions Club, Marysville Fire District, Marysville Pilchuck Naval Junior ROTC, Soroptimist International of Marysville, and local youth groups are to be part of Saturday’s event.
Frozen turkeys, hams and whole chickens to help feed smaller families are especially needed, Deierling said.
Donations will be collected at Fred Meyer, Grocery Outlet, Haggen, IGA and Safeway stores in Marysville and Smokey Point as well as the Marysville mall Albertsons.
“The community is always so supportive and it always pulls it out,” he said. “I’ll expect this year they’ll buck up and that 8 percent increase we see will be covered by everybody.”
About 70 barrels will stay at grocery and retail locations through mid-December. Donations can also be dropped off at the Marysville Community Food Bank located at 4150 80th St. NE.
Unwrapped gifts for children up to age 17 can also be taken to any Tree of Giving display. The trees are located at Kmart, 9623 State Ave.; Marysville Allen Creek IGA, 5610 64th St. NE; HomeStreet Bank, 1238 State Ave.; or E&E Lumber, 1364 State Ave. Marysville Police are also accepting unwrapped gifts at the Public Safety Building, 1635 Grove St.
Those interested in volunteering at the food bank on a weekly basis should call 360-658-1054. To volunteer at the toy store in December, contact JoAnn Moffitt at 425-876-1010 or email moffittbusichio@yahoo.com.
Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.
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