If you've never been through the doors of a food bank, lucky you.

And shame on you — they need you to volunteer.

For those of us who have never needed the kind of help food banks offer, it's easy to gloss over the statistics:

•&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Every month, over 850,000 people in Canada turn to a food bank

• More than a third, 284,000, are children and youth. ()

They are families with children, employed people, people on social assistance, people on a fixed income, seniors, people with disabilities, people you know.

If you've thought about donating, go to .

If you've ready to volunteer, call 250-763-7161.

If you have non-perishables to give, here's a list where you can drop off items.

• ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç, 2495 Enterprise Way

• Daily Courier’s Be An Angel Campaign

• Make a donation on Dec. 2 to the annual CBC Day

• Go to the Real Canadian Superstore in ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç or West ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç on Dec. 2, 3 and 4 to 'Stuff A Bus.'

• West ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç Firefighters will be knocking on doors Dec. 6 and 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. for their annual food drive

• Get your Global Okanagan Calendar with a minimum donation of $25 to the food bank of your choice

• Donate new, unwrapped toys to

• Sponsors a family by calling Tammy at 250-763-7161

• Look for your Spirit of Giving donation envelope in the mail

• Donate non-perishable food items at community food drives being held throughout December

• Sign up for the Central Okanagan Food Bank's No Hungry Children campaign to support children’s nutrition programming all year long

• Purchase Buy BC coupons from the checkout at your local grocery store — every $2 buys $6 worth of food

• Feed the Valley, donate non-perishable food items or make cash donations at any Valley First branch

• Hold a festive food drive in your neighbourhood, church, service club or workplace

• Send a donation directly to the Central Okanagan Food Bank’s Spirit of Giving Campaign at 1265 Ellis Street, ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç BC V1Y 1Z7 or 2545 Churchill Road West ÁðÁ§ÉñÉç BC V4T 2B4.