The Joliet Police Department has announced collection sites for its annual Holiday Food Drive with The Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center.

“Patrol for Hunger” is working to collect nonperishable food items through Dec. 19. Everything collected will go to help Joliet-area families in need.

“Every food donation helps to make a very real difference right here in our community,” the police department said in the announcement.

There are three businesses already operating as food-collection sites for the drive, and the police department is looking for additional partners in the effort.

Emediate Cure Quick Care Joliet, 1508 Essington Road, Unit 5; Rathubun, Cservenyak & Kozol LLC, 3260 Executive Drive in Joliet; and Baird & Warner Plainfield, 11914 Route 59, Suite 100 in Plainfield, all have drop boxes for food items on their premises, in addition to the Joliet police station.

Joliet police have asked other businesses interested in hosting a food-collection box to reach out as “a meaningful way to give back and support families this holiday season.”

In addition to the “Patrol for Hunger” event with The Salvation Army, the police department announced on Facebook that it is selling “Santa’s Cops” pins through the end of the year, or while supplies last, at the police station and Joliet City Hall.

The pin sales help fund the department’s Santa’s Cops program, which sees officers take children from low-income families Christmas shopping at Walmart.