If you find a plastic bag on your doorstep next week, don’t be alarmed or think the wind must have blown it there.

The bag, as it turns out, is part of the annual fall food drive put on in Pincher Creek by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Campaign chairman Chuck Nelson says the plastic bags will have a flyer inside that outlines what the Pincher Creek Food Centre is in need of at this time.

“It’s a pretty good mix,” Chuck says. This includes pasta, cereal, fruit cups, pudding cups, flour, sugar, coffee, tea and canned soups.

Organizers aren’t accepting any homemade canned or baked goods, though.

“No solicitation, so we won’t be asking for a donation,” he says. “It’s completely voluntary to participate.”

As in years past, volunteers with the church will go around the community dropping off the bags between Sept. 19 and 21.

Collection day is Saturday, Sept. 23.

“We’re asking anyone who’s taking part to have the bags out on the doorstep by 10 a.m. We’ll then pick them up and deliver them to the food bank,” Chuck says.

“We are extremely grateful for the continued support from the church and its members,” says Anne Gover, president of the Pincher Creek and District Community Food Centre. 

“Over the years, they’ve managed to collect hundreds of pounds of food and we simply couldn’t accomplish our mission if it wasn’t for the support of our marvellous community.”

The local ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been co-ordinating the event since 2012. It presented a cheque in lieu of a food drive in 2020, when Covid restrictions were in place.