Oxford Kiwanis will holds its 20th annual Holiday Food Drive from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11.

Kiwanis partners with Choice Food Pantry. City residents and neighbors on Bonham Road and in Springwood are asked to put bags or boxes of food on their front doorstep by 1 p.m. Identified volunteers will pick up the food.

If there is no food at residents’ doorstep, the volunteers will knock. The collectors will have boxes with Holiday Food Drive fliers attached clearly identifying them.

Particularly critical donations this year are canned fruit and juices, canned beans and soups, pasta and rice products, canned meats (tuna and chicken), boxed dinners, bread and muffin mixes, and cereals. Any monetary donations will be used for bulk purchases of needed items.

The Club holds the drive before Thanksgiving so holiday meals can be provided to area families who might not otherwise have holiday meals.

In 2011, Kiwanis, with 250 Oxford citizens and Miami University students and staff, collected and distributed more than 400 holiday meals (for an average family of 4-5 persons) for Thanksgiving and Christmas. In addition to this Holiday Food Drive, there were many donations from other sources.

However, this drive is the largest supplier of food.

Citizens of Oxford are the source of the food for the meals, according to an Oxford Kiwanis news release, which states that “you are the volunteers who collect the food. Your help is all-important to make this drive a success. Due to the recent poor economy, there are greater needs than in past years. We hope to collect enough food to help as many families as possible.”

The volunteer list includes many Miami University and Oxford school students and staff, as well as these groups: girl and boy scouts, brownies and cub scouts, church groups and service groups. Anyone interested in helping in the collection effort directly should come to the Seminary church by 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11.

According to the Kiwanis news release, “please know that just placing canned/dried foods out for collection will be very much appreciated. If you plan to be out of town on Sunday afternoon, please place canned goods outside on your porch for pickup.”