The Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre is encouraging people to put the ‘give’ in Thanksgiving.

Director of Operations Deborah Hamp says the Centre’s Infant Formula Campaign has kicked off, aiming to raise $100,000 this month to support local children in need.

“It’s not a luxury. It’s not a ‘nice to have’. It’s an absolute survival need. It’s a high-cost item and something that is difficult to keep in the building at the quantity that we need with the resources that are available.”

She says the campaign is, once again, receiving help from Canpotex.

“The public really appreciates that their dollars are doubled. With Canpotex’s support of $50,000, they match every dollar donated, and so our goal is to raise $100,000 in the month of October in support of the Infant Formula Campaign.”

Hamp explains that the food bank typically sees about 24,000 visits per month with 40 per cent being children, but in August that number was 26,000.

“Cash is great because we do have bulk purchasing power, so we ask the public to give generously in the month of October in support of this campaign.”

Monetary donations can be made on the food bank’s website, and formula can be dropped off at the Food Bank location on Avenue C.