BUSES are to travel the entire island collecting food for the needy as part of a campaign organised by the Hands of Love Ministry.

Next Saturday, drivers will leave from St. George's and Dockyard, making stops at supermarkets and bus shelters where they hope concerned residents will be waiting with bags of tinned goods, bread and fruit.

"On a daily basis, between ten and 15 persons come by looking for food," said Fern Wade, founder of the Hands of Love Ministry. "At Christmastime, it's far worse. We try to help between 500 and 600 families each year.

"Sure, they can go to Social Services for assistance, but many would rather come to us because there's no red tape. I deal with the need right then and there."

Since 1980, Mrs. Wade's efforts have provided thousands on the island with food, shelter, clothing and education. Much of that activity is co-ordinated from two locations, Camp Hill in Southampton and Cedar Hill in Warwick.

First held last year, the drive is the brainchild of Derek Fishenden, a PTB operator who wanted to do something for Bermuda's less fortunate residents. "At one time I needed some help from the Salvation Army. During the time when I was down and out, they helped me. And so for me, this was just a matter of returning the favour. You never know when you're going to be out there with the last tin of cream in your fridge or the last slice of bread in your cupboard," he said. "So many people live on the edge and it's nice to give hope to people, especially at this time of the year.

"I knew of the work Mrs. Wade was doing. I knew how much of a struggle it had been for her all these years. And so I approached her, asking if I could help out collecting food items for the needy."

Mr. Fishenden said PTB director Dan Simmons provided buses to assist the plan, while colleagues offered driving support.

"We will have two buses. If we can fill each bus seat with a bag of groceries, we'll have 76 bags to give to the needy."

Mrs. Wade explained that the buses would be easy to identify as drivers will be dressed in Santa Claus outfits and the vehicles will be emblazoned with signs.

"We're asking for tinned items but also fruit and bread," she said. "Many of the people we deal with have children. There are lots of single parents with primary school age children. They need bread for sandwiches, fruit for snacks."

She asked that where possible, donors provide cans of food with pop-up openers so the homeless have easier access to their contents.

A bus will be at St. George's Square collecting items between 9.30 a.m. and 10.15 a.m. on December 3. From there, it will head to St. David's Lighthouse for half an hour. Between 11.30 a.m. and 12.15 p.m., it will sit at Southside Supermarket. The bus moves to Shelly Bay MarketPlace at 12.45 p.m. until 1.30 p.m. before travelling on to Lindo's Market Limited in Devonshire at 1.45 p.m. for an hour.

A second bus will arrive at the Maritime Museum at Dockyard at 9.45 a.m. departing at 10.15 p.m. Between 10.45 a.m. and 11.30 a.m., it will sit at the Somerset Market Place. It travels next to Arnold's Supermarket, remaining there from 11.45 a.m. through 12.15 p.m.

The bus then moves to Maximart for 12.45 p.m. until 1.30 p.m. It next goes to the Heron Bay Market Place, remaining there from 1.45 p.m. through 2.30 p.m. Next stop, White & Sons Ltd., from 2.45 p.m. through 3.30 p.m. It travels to Hayward's for 3.45 p.m., remaining there through 4.15 p.m. before heading to Lindo's Family Foods Ltd. in Warwick for 4.30 p.m. where it is expected to remain for half an hour.

""If people miss us, they can stand at a bus stop and flag us down along the way," added Mr. Fishenden.