Sirens will blare through communities early next week, in a cause driving to help in need families this Christmas.

This Tuesday, emergency services are doing their bit to collect donations for local food banks, with the annual Emergency Services Food Drive.

Fire and Emergency Services senior firefighter Robert Pinkerton says fire, police, ambulance and emergency management teams will be hitting areas around the city from 5.30pm.

'All of the emergency services will be out on the street, collecting food for the foodbank.

'We'll have teams collecting in the Bellevue and Otumoetai areas, Greerton and Arataki and in eastern Papamoa areas such as Dickson Rd,” he says.

In the wider Bay of Plenty Maketu, Pukehina and Katikati will also be running collections, says Robert.

'This is our way to help the community, it's been run for years now.

'People tend to know we're in the area because the sirens are going and residents will usually come out on the street to give a can of food or whatever they want to give us.

'It always amazes us every year how much people want to give, they're very generous.”

He says food will be distributed to the local foodbanks where they are collected.

'Food collected in Tauranga will go to the Tauranga Salvation Army food bank and food collected in Mount Maunganui goes to the Mount Maunganui Salvation Army Church,” he says.

'In other areas like Katikati, Pukehina and Maketu it will go to their local food banks.”

Locals are being encouraged to get behind the cause and donate whatever they can.