MARYSVILLE — With the holidays just around the corner, volunteers from several organizations will kick off the Marysville All-City Food Drive on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., to help neighbors in need this season by collecting donations of money, food and unused toys.

Volunteers from the Kiwanis, the Lakewood High School Leadership Class, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, city of Marysville staff, Soroptimist International, HomeStreet Bank, the Lions Club, the local Junior ROTC, the Marysville Fire District and local youth groups will be collecting donations at various participating local grocers and retail stores.

“You can make a real difference in lives of children and families, knowing that your donations and gifts will go directly to families in the community,” Marysville Community Food Bank Director Dell Deierling said.

Year-to-date food and financial donations are down, while the number of families coming to the Food Bank is up 6 percent, making the need all the more real.

Volunteers will be collecting donations at the Marysville Fred Meyer, Grocery Outlet, Haggen, Albertsons, Walmart in Quil Ceda Village and east Marysville, and the Safeway stores in Marysville and Smokey Point.

Red barrels will be located throughout the Marysville community starting Nov. 2, and will continue to collect food and toys throughout the holiday season.

Donations can also be dropped off at the Marysville Community Food Bank, located at 4150 88th St. NE, behind St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

For more information about the All-City Food Drive, contact Tara Mizell by phone at 360-363-8404, or via email at tmizell@marysvillewa.gov.