Donating food now as simple as dragging icons on website

The Food Bank of Northern Nevada has launched its first virtual food drive through an interactive website that makes it easier to donate this holiday season.

Donors can drag different food item icons - including produce, grains and dairy - into a virtual shopping cart at the site: donate.fbnn.org/vfd

Prices include $1 for bread or $5 for fruits and vegetables. A small bag full of groceries goes for $25, a big one for $50. The credit-card checkout offers a chance to honor or memorialize others.

Food bank spokeswoman Jocelyn Lantrip said it's simpler and more convenient than regular food drives because people can help out without leaving their home.

It's also more efficient for the food bank, which spends 11 percent of its budget obtaining and distributing food.