OTTAWA – The Ottawa Food Bank is asking for your help in giving those less fortunate a Thanksgiving before you fill up on turkey and pumpkin pie this weekend.

Their “Thanks For Giving” food drive kicked off last week and they collected 65,000 pounds of food.

This is the second of a three-weekend drive.  There will be 100 volunteers spread out at stores across the capital collecting non-perishable food.

“Going into this weekend is very critical,” Patty Murphy with the Ottawa Food Bank told 1310News.  “This is our first food drive in a number of months and it really sets the tone going into the holiday season.”

Non-perishable items are being accepted and tuna, peanut butter, pasta and baby food are always in need.

This year an extra weekend was added for the food drive, in part because of this summer’s drought.

“We didn’t have as much in terms of vegetables.  We are doing well, but know we won’t have the 57, 000 pounds we had last year of fresh food,” said Murphy.

Donations will be boxed up and distributed to 140 programs, including to the Ottawa Mission for its Thanksgiving dinner.