The Kiwanis Club of Pembroke brough together a small band of volunteers Saturday to collect donations for area food banks.

The third annual one-day food drive was hosted by major stores including Moncion Grocers Pembroke Market and Riverside Market, Giant Tiger, Food Basics and Walmart.

At each location, the public was offered the opportunity to buy non-perishable items if they wished to donate to the drive and place them into paper bags supplied by volunteers.

After Christmas, food banks find their shelves depleted, said Kiwanis member Peter Leigh. Standing outside Food Basics in the Pembroke Mall with two students, the former teacher said he was impressed by the involvement of young people, for the first time, in the drive.

"They're promoting a cause that has been an integral part of our community," he said. "They're getting some positive reinforcement and people are responding."

Each year on April 21, Kiwanis International asks all clubs to undertake a service project. During Kiwanis One Day, services clubs will initiate projects that will impact the community and result in an international spirit of service that inspires people worldwide.

Last year, the Pembroke club, along with members of the Fellowes High School Key Club and the Circle K Club out of Algonquin College, collected groceries worth $6,000. Receiving numerous bags of food from customers impressed Highview Public School student Connor Graham.

"It's important that we give back to the community," said the grade six student as he politely thanked one of the passersby who dropped a full bag of food on their collection table.

"This is going to mean a lot to the people who will receive this food," added his friend, Gavin Baxter, also from Highview Public School.

The total amount of food collected will be divided equally between the Salvation Army and St. Joseph's Food Bank.

Sean Chase is a Daily Observer multimedia journalist