“Fill the Bus” food drive aids three area organizations

The “Fill the Bus” food drive was held last Saturday and Sunday with buses parked at Sobeys, Walmart and No Frills. Mercato Fresh also helped this year.

The fourth annual “Fill the Bus” food collection drive returned to Amherstburg over the weekend with three charitable organizations benefitting.

Buses were parked at Sobeys, Rob & Tina’s No Frills and Walmart with Mercato Fresh also making donations this year. Non-perishable food items and toiletries will be divided and donated to the Amherstburg Food and Fellowship Mission, Amherstburg Community Services (ACS) and Be The Light Outreach Ministry.

Laurie Hatton, who helped organize “Fill the Bus” again in 2025, said it went well.

“We’ve had a great response from the community,” said Hatton. “I think people are really generous. They know there is a need in the community. They are doing what they can do to make a difference.”

The mission and ACS can always use donations, with Hatton adding Be The Light Outreach Ministry is now under the umbrella of Encounter Church in Amherstburg. 

“The 2025 Fill the Bus event was a huge success! There were dozens of volunteers who collected thousands of items from hundreds of community members,” added Hatton. “What really encouraged me was how Be the Light Outreach Ministry, Amherstburg Community Services, and the Amherstburg Food and Fellowship Mission worked together to have a food drive to meet the needs of people in our community. Without the volunteers, sponsors, and individuals who donated, all the planning would have accomplished nothing. This was a team effort that yielded amazing results.”

Be The Light was started during the COVID-19 pandemic by Jasmine and Jeremy Mulder and started to help feed and care for people in Windsor. 

“They couldn’t sit back and do nothing,” said Hatton.

The ministry grew to where they offer free meals in Windsor and came to Amherstburg after the Mulders met with pastor Brandon Cousineau and associate pastor Kevin Saunders at Encounter Church. 

Volunteers Fill The Bus at No Frills.

Hatton said if people want to donate via e-transfer, they can do so via info@encounteraburg.ca and tax receipts come from the church.

“If anyone in the community wants to contribute further, they can get in touch with Amherstburg Community Services, the mission or Be the Light to volunteer,” said Hatton.

E-transfers and cash donations alone brought in over $2,000, Hatton stated.

Switzer-Carty donated use of the three school buses. Hatton thanked the grocery stores, volunteers and donors for their participation, as well as the police auxiliary and firefighters who helped at Sobeys. She added Families First helped with signage, businesses such as Domino’s, Naples, Quesada and Beavertails helped with food for volunteers, and local media outlets such as the River Town Times, CKBG and CKRT helped publicize the event.

Volunteers Fill The Bus at Walmart.

Encounter Church provided use of the building for sorting while also helping with printing materials. Bois Blanc Island allowed for storage of the buses Saturday night.

“Year 4 of “Fill the bus” was a huge success due to the generous donations and willing volunteers from our community. I love when all 3 organizations come together with one common goal. We could not do this without you Amherstburg,” said Jasmine Mulder.

Jill Kanwischer, a volunteer and board member with the mission, said they were pleased to be a partner in the food drive.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity shown through this recent community food drive and proud to partner with ACS and Be the Light Ministries to help meet the growing needs of our town. Food drives like this are essential. They allow us to continue providing support to those facing food insecurity, especially as the cost of groceries continues to rise,” said Kanwischer.

The mission serves approximately 70 hot meals per day in addition to distributing food baskets to individuals and families in need.

“We’ve maintained the same basket size, despite rising costs, because we know how much our community depends on them,” said Kanwischer. “We are also in urgent need of volunteers. If you can spare even a couple of hours a week, it would make a significant difference. Together, we can continue to feed, support, and uplift our neighbours.”

ACS operates out of the Amherstburg Community Hub at 320 Richmond St. One of their long list of services is a food bank and they also help aid those in need in the community.

Hatton indicated there are plans in the works for 2026.

“We are already looking forward to next year on how we make this bigger and better,” she said.

“Fill the Bus” food drive aids three area organizations

By Ron Giofu