A Nova Scotia food bank says it plans to serve thousands of meals to hungry and homeless people this Christmas season.

Harvest House Ministries provides food and shelter to people from Amherst to Glace Bay.

Co-ordinator Melvin Sangster said they're expecting to serve 6,000 meals this holiday season across Nova Scotia.

"The 6,000 people is over a three month period at Christmas time and this is not only just people that we feed it's people that we give food to and we distribute food throughout the mainland, throughout Cape Breton Island and what we look for is small communities that have no food banks," he said.

"We drop off food at Tatamagouche, some in Antigonish, some in Guysborough."

Harvest House in North Sydney and Glace Bay feeds hundreds of people year-round and is preparing special meals for Christmas.

Organizers have been fundraising during the past few months to support their annual Christmas drive where they serve a complete Christmas dinner for a $3 donation.

George McIsaac will help to serve the meal. He turned to Harvest House for help several years ago and now says he wants to give back.

"I went and got in trouble with the law and involved with the drugs and they came and helped me out and here I am helping them," McIsaac said.

Sangster said they're hoping to raise $75,000 to support their Cape Breton facilities.

He said they'll be serving a traditional turkey supper on Christmas day in North Sydney.

People heading to the Glace Bay soup kitchen will be treated to a "Jiggs dinner" of corned beef and cabbage.