The Food Banks of Saskatchewan got off to a great start on its “Feeding Holiday Cheer” Campaign.

Executive Director of the organization Michael Kincade says they got a $250-thousand donation from Nutrien in late November.

He says Nutrien has been a great supporter and the large donation will help reach their goal of $2-million raised by January 1.

In a news release, Nutrien has donated over $8.5-million to the Food Banks of Saskatchewan since 2010, and the company encourages others to give what they can to the campaign.

It comes at a time, as Kincade notes, more people are using food banks across the province.

“With rising costs and costs of living…we’ve seen over the last year a 24 percent increase in people needing to use the food banks in Saskatchewan.” he said. “We have 36 food banks across Saskatchewan that feed approximately 35-thousand people a month.”

On the other side of the coin, he also noted a decrease in donations over the last year, as some who have never utilized a food bank before, are doing so now.

Donations of any kind, whether it’s a non-perishable food item or cash, can be made between now and the end of this month. He says the donations help their day-to-day operations.

“It helps us purchase much-needed food that we don’t normally get donated, like fresh produce, meats, protein, it helps us balance a healthy diet for people.” Kincade said.

Contributions to the Feeding Holiday Cheer campaign can be made at www.skfoodbanks.ca or to your local food bank.