The Iowa State Daily’s fifth-annual food drive, Stuff the Bus, will be collecting donations Friday and Saturday in an attempt to combat hunger by feeding local people in need.

The drive, organized by Mid-Iowa Community Action, attempts to fill as many CyRide buses with food and supplies as possible. Monetary donations are also collected to help ease the pressures associated with poverty. Last year’s drive collected more than $2,000.

Donations will be accepted Friday from 2 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fareway, 619 Burnett Ave., Wal-Mart/Cub Foods, 3015 and 3121 Grand Ave., and both Hy-Vee stores, 640 and 3800 Lincoln Way.

“Over the summer, donations have slowed and I have to go to the store once a week, spending $1,000 on food and supplies,” said Lindsay Cook, food pantry assistant with MICA.

She said the organization and the people it assists greatly benefit from the annual drive.

The nonprofit organization aims to help low-income families and their children, helping them cope with physical and social vices.

The fraternity Alpha Phi Omega is helping to facilitate the process.

The house, which volunteered last year, will be handing out fliers detailing the items needed and will be carrying the donated items to the buses.

Fraternity president Mirinda Gormley, senior in biology, looks forward to helping with the yearly event, but regrets the lack of cooperation among some of the city’s citizens.

“Some people are really willing to help out the community, but some just really don’t care about their community either,” Gormley said.

Also participating in the drive are the stores themselves.

“We will be providing a location, as well as a donation,” said Fareway store manager Gary Linahon.

Linahon said the store will be announcing the event over the intercom system, urging its customers to give in any way possible.

With all the stores participating, Linahon insists there is no competition and that they are all working toward the same goal.