A local food drive is underway to help fill the shelves at St. Mary’s Food Pantry in New Baltimore ahead of the upcoming holiday season.

AMVETS Post 52 is collecting non-perishable donations throughout the month of October. Through Oct. 31, donations can be dropped off from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday at the post, located at 51285 County Line Road in New Baltimore.

“This has been a terrific post event, including the AMVETS, Ladies Auxiliary and the Sons of AMVETS,” said Laura Szymanski, treasurer of the Ladies Auxiliary. “We definitely have seen an increase of donations in the past week.”

On Oct. 24, New Baltimore Police Chief Randy Blackburn and Cadet Anthony Russo stopped by to drop off donations and meet with members and commanders from the post.

“The police officers delivered many boxes, and we look forward to our firefighters (dropping) in soon,” Szymanski said after receiving the donations from the police department.

All food will be delivered Nov. 1 to St. Mary’s Food Pantry to assist for the holidays, said Szymanski, who also serves as a New Baltimore City Council member.

St. Mary’s Food Pantry is open for regularly scheduled hours from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. It provides canned goods, meats, fresh dairy, fruit, vegetables, breads and other baked goods. Clients can come once every 30 days. The pantry serves residents in the following communities: Casco, Chesterfield, Clay, Ira and Lenox townships, Fair Haven and New Baltimore.

Food pantry donations typically come from parishioners, other area churches and organizations, food drives and the Macomb County Food Bank. The pantry was created to serve the needs of the hungry in the community without regard to race, creed or religious affiliation, according to the St. Mary Queen of Creation Catholic Church website. For more information about St. Mary’s Food Pantry, call the church at 586-725-2441 or visit smqoc.com.