VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The Rogers Santa Claus Parade is on Sunday; it’s a very important day for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

Your donations are vital to tens of thousands of people across the Lower Mainland and News1130 is speaking with someone who knows that very well.

You probably know people just like “John,” an ordinary hard-working man who developed a medical condition and quickly found himself in dire straits.

“I had no money to pay rent, I had no money to pay for food; it was a desperate struggle,” he tells us. That’s when he turned to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

“I had nothing and they were there. The fact that they were there probably saved me, enabled me to try and come through what I was going through. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but it was very orderly and very respectful. I was able to survive, essentially, for several months and I probably couldn’t have done that without the support of the food bank.”

John is very thankful for the help he recieved, so much so that he needed to do something in return. “I now volunteer at one of the depots. What I wanted to do was be able to give back and pay back for what I received. It is a way to contribute in some way.”

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank currently assists 27,000 people every month; more than a quarter of them are children.

Donations are being accepted at the Rogers Santa Claus Parade. You can help people like John as we head into the holidays by bringing a non-perishable food item or a cash donation. Even a dollar can make a difference, as the food bank turn that into $3 worth of food.

If you aren’t able to attend the parade, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society also accepts donations online, at many supermarkets, and at their office at 1150 Raymur Avenue in Vancouver.