Canadian Blood Services' annual Bleed and Feed is back for the third year in a row and Tri-City residents will have four chances - including two next week - to lend an arm.
The program, in partnership with Food Banks BC, is counting on B.C. residents to become "miracle workers" by making more than 14,000 blood donations between Dec. 1 and Jan. 2 and bringing in non-perishable food items for local food banks to help alleviate the hunger felt by nearly 100,000 people.
B.C. residents can book a donation appointment by visiting blood.ca or calling 1-888-2DONATE (1-888-236-6283). Donated food items will be collected Dec. 1 to 31 in specially marked Bleed and Feed food collection boxes located in the front waiting area of blood donor clinics across the province. Food collected in the Tri-Cities will be donated to the Share Family and Community Services, which runs food banks in the region as well as Christmas hamper and toy programs.
"Many families will be celebrating the holidays in hospital this year, while others struggle to have a meal," said Ed Yee, director of donor and clinic services for the B.C. and Yukon region of Canadian Blood Services. "We hope to rally B.C. residents together and make the season brighter for more local families in need."
Bleed and Feed clinics in the Tri-Cities area are:
Northside Church (Grace Campus), 2606 Kingsway Ave., Port Coquitlam: Dec. 3, 1 to 8 p.m.; Dec. 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
and Place Maillard-ville community centre, 1200 Cartier Ave., Coquitlam: Dec. 5, 1 to 8 p.m.; Dec. 30, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
To learn more about your the local food bank, visit http://sharesociety.ca.
