Shelves at the Auburn Food Bank are being stocked with more than 8,000 pounds of food for families in need, thanks to the generosity of Waste Management customers from Auburn.

Waste Management and the City of Auburn joined efforts to organize the food drive in late September as part of the Mayor’s Hunger Awareness Week.

“Auburn is a city with a heart, and their generous spirit is again reflected in this drive to help those truly in need,” said Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis.

Auburn residents donated food by leaving it along the curb for collection by Waste Management employees. Some customers donated as much as two or three large bags of food.

“I’ve always said we have the world’s best customers. That concern showed in a big way during the food drive. We are grateful to the City of Auburn and to our big-hearted customers for making this generous gift possible,” said Laura Moser, of community relations for Waste Management.

Moser came up with the curbside collection idea and applied it successfully in Federal Way.

In Auburn, a total of 8,321 pounds of food was collected in a one-week period. The drive also took in a $250 donation.

“We were thrilled for them, this being their first time,” said Debbie Christian, the food bank’s executive director.

The drive comes at a good time. There is extraordinary demand this year for services from the food bank and other community food providers.

On average, the food bank serves 150 families a day, each of them receiving 120 pounds of food. On Sept. 30, the food bank set a one-day record, serving 33 first-time families.

“There is no doubt that our clients need this food,” said Dana Hinman, president of the Auburn Food Bank board of directors. “We served over 91,000 in our last fiscal year and we don’t see the need decreasing anytime soon.”

“We are more than grateful for this generous donation and effort from Waste Management,” Hinman said.

The food bank is a volunteer-directed organization that provides food and emergency assistance to those in need. Its service area also includes the cities of Algona, Pacific and parts of Lake Tapps and Kent.

For more information about the food bank and its services and hours, visit www.theauburnfoodbank.org.

About Waste Management

Management of the Pacific Northwest is the leading provider of comprehensive recycling and environmental services in the region. We provide innovative sustainability solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers, from curbside collection with natural gas trucks for clean air to waste reduction programs that turn food scraps into compost for healthy gardens. The company uses waste that cannot be recycled to generate renewable energy, powering 7,500 homes in the Pacific Northwest. For more information, go to www.ThinkGREEN.com or www.wmnorthwest.com