UPDATE: In an update sent to Saugeen Shores Hub December 21, over $8,000 has been raised for the Salvation Army Food Bank in Port Elgin and the Paisley Food Bank Christmas Hamper program as a result of the Saugeen Shares Community Food Drive. "Our Saugeen Shores community is so incredibly generous," read the update. "As always, thank you for the great coverage of SDSS events in the Hub. We appreciate it and look forward to door-to-door food collection again, next year."

Sponsored by Saugeen District Senior School and Chantry Island Cham-bettes and due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Saugeen Shares will not be going to door to door December 5 for their Community Food Drive and is instead asking residents to consider donating directly to the Salvation Army Food Bank online, by phone or by mail.

"Recent news reports have highlighted the urgent need for communities to support their food banks, especially now, during this pandemic. Food bank use has increased greatly over the last year," read the release.

See: Demands continue to increase for area food banks

"We were very pleased with the result of our fundraising efforts near the beginning of the pandemic, in late May/early June," said Saugeen Shares Coordinator Dan Weigand in an email to Saugeen Shores Hub. Those efforts, coupled with matching funds of $15,000 from the Power Workers' Union Bruce Site, raised over $50,000 in monetary donations and non-perishable food items for the Salvation Army Food Bank and the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation.

"It was an amazing community effort," read the release, adding that they hope to be going door to door again next year.

In the meantime, there are three ways you can donate to the Port Elgin branch of the Salvation Army Food Bank. Online donate directly to the Port Elgin branch by clicking here. Donate by phone with a credit card by calling 519-376-5699 or mail a cheque to The Salvation Army, Community and Family Services, 614 Barnes Avenue, PO Box 1780, Port Elgin, ON, N0H 2C0.