SAINT JOHN, N.B.- A local, free hot lunch program in Saint John is calling for donations as it deals with record numbers this year.

Common Councillor Donnie Snook is the head of the Chicken Noodle Club, which has been offering lunches to school children and families since 1989.

He says there are 570 children registered in the program this year – roughly triple last year’s total.

And Snook says money raised at a gala event two years ago has run out, and the program may reduce services or shut down within weeks. “Now that that money has been spent and ,as the demand is even greater this year, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen us come so close to the edge of not being able to continue”, says Snook. “That’s why we’re putting the call out”.

Donations can be dropped off at Fundy Coins.

The club is also holding a food drive November 23rd to the 25th at the Rothesay Avenue Superstore.