The Okotoks Food Bank is finding their shelves stuffed for the first time in months.

Thanks to donations from the Okotoks and Heritage Heights communities, for the annual Community Food Drive the Food Bank in Okotoks is boasting full shelves again after a tough past few months.

Food Bank Executive Director says it was heartwarming to see such high contribution amidst tough times for everyone.

"It's overwhelming the support that you see, every bag indicates someone in our community reaching out, thinking of others and helping." Hughes adds "To see the amount of food coming out from our community, it's just heartwarming and incredible."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Okotoks partnered with the Food Bank for the Community Food Drive.

Youth ages 12-18 gathered for their youth activities on Tuesday and Wednesday night at the church to prepare the bags and get their routes organized. On Thursday, families delivered the bags to doorsteps.

On Saturday, volunteers went door-to-door to help pick up the bags full of food and it was brought back, packed and sorted at the church.

Hughes shares the next step is the tedious job of unpacking and stocking up the hampers.

"We're ensuring that we're not taking anything that's so far out of date that we can't serve it to our families, we're going to pack it all into trailers and then get it down to the Food Bank as soon as possible."

With increased usage at the Okotoks Food Bank, Hughes says they've had to buy a lot of food to fill out the shelves in recent months.

The amount of donations that came from yesterdays food drive will help get the Food Bank and their clients through the Christmas season, while Hughes adds, the Christmas food drives and donations usually take them through to May or June.

"This will let us breathe easier, we've had to buy a lot of food over the last month and a half.  This just lets us breathe easier, knowing our shelves are full."

A total number of donations to come in hasn't been tallied yet, but it's safe to say that residents in the Foothills won't be going hungry any time soon.

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