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By The Daily Gleaner

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How would you like to put this on your shopping list - 680 boxes of spaghetti and macaroni?

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STEPHEN MACGILLIVRAY PHOTO

HELPING THE HUNGRY: Myrna Brideau, marketing director at the Regent Mall, places a food donation of spaghetti in the bin outside the guest services area at the mall. The bin is part of The Daily Gleaner and Fredericton Food Bank’s Harvest for the Hungry campaign.

That's how much pasta the Fredericton Food Bank distributes every month to local families in need.

This week, as The Daily Gleaner and Fredericton Food Bank continue their joint Harvest for the Hungry food drive campaign, the focus is on lining the pantry shelves with the popular food staples.

The Daily Gleaner readers and newspaper staff are joining individuals, businesses and school groups to fill food bins at locations around the city.

"We are heartened and thankful for the tremendous response we've had to this campaign," said The Daily Gleaner publisher Shelley Wood.

Elizabeth Crawford Thurber, executive director of Fredericton Community Services Inc., is equally thrilled.

The campaign is going wonderfully well, Crawford Thurber said.

"We had enough Kraft Dinner donated last week to last us a month. This week we're doing the spaghetti. It's good to see food in the warehouse," Crawford Thurber said.

While the vast quantities of food being donated might last the average family many months, Crawford Thurber said, but the food bank is always struggling to keep up with the demand for assistance.

"We never have a stockpile. This food goes in and out. We're never able to keep food ahead from month to month," she said.

The food bank distributes 10,000 boxes a year and creates special food hampers for the Christmas season.

It always struggles to keep up with demand.

"We're grateful to have a month's supply. That's a bonus right there," she said.

Donations may be dropped off to one of the 15 collection bins in Fredericton on Monday until noon hour Friday, when the food is collected.

Along with the donation box in the front lobby of the newspaper's Prospect Street office, food dropoff locations have been established at Canadian Tire stores in Fredericton and Oromocto.

Donation bins can also be found at the Regent Mall and Brookside Mall. Those are in addition to about 10 donation boxes that can be found in grocery stores throughout the city.

While this week's theme is pasta, don't be shy about dropping off any non-perishable item you may be able to contribute.

In 2006, about 650 families relied on the city's food bank to keep their children fed and clothed.

Harvest for the Hungry runs until Oct. 24. To learn more about the food bank's community support, visit www.frederictonfoodbank.com.