Image credit: CFJC Today

By Aaron Schulze

Fall Food Drive

Kamloops Food Bank expects to deliver all 33,000 food drive bags after ‘avalanche’ of volunteer inquiries

Sep 16, 2025 | 11:05 AM

KAMLOOPS — One day after a big ask of residents to deliver 33,000 paper bags, the Kamloops Food Bank expects its Fall Food Drive to be business as usual Saturday (Sept. 20).

The food bank put out the public plea Monday (Sept. 15) as its Rotary Food Drive paper bags are considered flyers and would not be distributed amid a ban on commercial flyer delivery that came into effect. The ban is a result of job action from the union representing Canada Post workers to get the Crown corporation to resume negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.

In a post to social media before the end of his workday, the food bank’s community and engagement lead Tyler Lowey said nearly 75 per cent of the 33,000 paper bags they picked up from Canada Post would be out for delivery Monday.

However, the inquiries from residents wanting to lend a helping hand kept pouring in overnight. As of Tuesday morning, Lowey says there are only eight more routes to assign a deliveryman with paper bags, and he still had 12 voicemails and 65 emails to respond to.

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“I have been blown away with how much Kamloops has stepped up at the last minute,” Lowey told CFJC Today. “Kamloops knows how big [this food drive] is and how many moving parts there are. It has been a never-ending avalanche of voicemails and emails from people wanting to help out. I think we’re going to get it done.”

The food drive paper bags are delivered to detached and duplex homes. Lowey says residents who live in apartment buildings or may have been missed amid the audible delivery, and still want to partake in the food drive, are encouraged to donate their non-perishable food donations at the food bank at 171 Wilson St. on the North Shore.

The Kamloops Food Bank is open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Residents are asked to leave their paper bags of food on their doorstep by 9:00 a.m. Saturday.

The food bank says the Fall Food Drive brings in an average of 50,000 lbs of food. This year, the food bank hopes to surpass the 70,000 lbs mark.