Stuff the Bus 2024 Exceeds Expectations

The 2024 Stuff the Bus Food Drive was a resounding success!

As with every year, the True North FM Team partnered up with the Yellowknife Co-op to help stock the shelves of the city’s local food banks. While every year sees a moderate amount of food purchased by the residents, this time around, the outcome was even better than expected!

On Thursday night, the True North FM Team and a squad of volunteers packed up five hundred bags of various dry goods for Co-op customers to purchase and send to the food banks. Throughout Saturday, the growing traffic of shoppers, as well as various local companies making generous donations and purchasing bags in bulk, all five hundred hampers had been sold by the early afternoon!

An extra one hundred bags had to be assembled to keep the day going, and those bags too were sold in short order! Eventually, it was decided to simply keep track of hamper purchases and supply the appropriate amount of food at a later date. As a result, while the exact numbers aren’t available just yet, it is estimated that the food drive sold around 730 bags, and raised just under $22,000.

 Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty also stopped by to donate a bag of her own, and offered a quick statement on the turnout.

“I appreciate everyone’s generosity, and I know it’s a hard year for many people, so if people do have a little bit extra that they can come out and donate and support friends and family, just know that a little goes a long way.”

Once the bus had been filled and all bags were loaded, the food was transported first to the Salvation Army, and then to the Yellowknife Food Bank, where it was quickly added to their shelves.