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Huntsville and area residents have always been generous donors during the annual Project Porchlight Food Drive. This year, despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, was no different.<\/p>\n
With COVID-19 restrictions hampering collection efforts\u2014the annual event relies heavily on volunteers both going door-to-door and sorting donations, but for safety those numbers were reduced this year\u2014and the need for people to simply leave their donations on porches or at the end of driveways rather than handing them over to volunteers, what the response would be was unknown.<\/p>\n
But just an hour after vehicles filled to the brim began rolling into the three sorting depots at the Salvation Army, Trinity United Church, and the Algonquin Theatre, it was clear that donations this year would be equal to or greater than in past years.<\/p>\n
Project Porchlight is an initiative of the Huntsville Lake of Bays Fire Department. The flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks, ambulances, and police cruisers going door-to-door signal to residents from Huntsville to Port Sydney, Baysville and Dwight that holiday spirit is alive and well in our community. Now in its 32nd year, the food drive helps keep families in need fed well into the following months.<\/p>\n
Mike Vadlja, fire prevention officer for the Huntsville Lake of Bays Fire Department, said they were pleased with the efforts of everyone, from volunteers to those making donations.<\/p>\n