Volunteers have marked their calendars for the 7th annual Orangevale-Fair Oaks Community Food Drive on Oct. 17. Photo courtesy of the Orangevale Fair Oaks Community Foundation

ORANGEVALE/FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - Organizers are seeing something different this year as we approach the main event of the 7th Annual Orangevale-Fair Oaks Community Food Drive: People aren’t waiting to be asked. They are reaching out months ahead, anticipating it as part of their annual calendar.

The food drive will be held Saturday, Oct. 17, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Divine Savior Catholic Church parking lot, 9079 Greenback Lane in Orangevale. Donations can be dropped off drive-through style. Neighborhood and organizational drives are encouraged to drop off larger consolidated donations.

Nonperishable foods, especially peanut butter, cereal and oatmeal, pasta and pasta sauce, are requested. Canned fruits and vegetables, beans and rice, and ramen and instant noodles are also needed.

The community’s proactive response comes as food insecurity climbs again.

“Benefits they have had in the past are coming to an end, food costs continue to rise, so the need is starting to rise,” said Orangevale-Fair Oaks Food Bank Executive Director Andrea Scollay. “Things are reaching a bit of a tipping point again and people are looking for hands-on things they can do.”

Growing community ownership and celebration of service are happening right alongside growing food insecurity.

“Definitely more partners and response as times are difficult,” wrote event founder Marcus Arnold in an email. “The demand is way up!!!”

Some of that response comes with friendly competition. Casa Roble High School Rams and Bella Vista High School Broncos are competing in a collection contest, while other groups are challenging one another, Scollay said, “mainly for bragging rights.”

The effort is reaching farther, too. Arnold recently spoke at three assemblies for more than 600 students at Mariemont Elementary in the Arcade area.

“The students were so engaged,” Arnold said.

Arnold said the day continues to mean “Collaboration and fun, meeting all walks of life, interfaith, broad variety in organizations, and more involvement from the community itself.”

The goal is 50,000 pounds. Yet neither organizer defined success by pounds.

“It’s collaboration and groups coming together,” Arnold said.

For Scollay, it is simpler: “Smiling faces of the volunteers. Caring for our community.”

“That fun. That community. It is success no matter what the end result number says.”

Seven years in, perhaps that is how a food drive becomes a community tradition: someone invites us in, we show up, and eventually we are knocking at the door to ensure it’s on our calendar every coming year.

This year — drive through to donate. Volunteer and bring someone along. Share the event or organize a collection of your own this week. You’ll receive more than you realize as you join those smiling faces caring for our community.

Those interested in volunteering can visit: one.ovfocf.org/volunteer.