A community food drive and outreach event held by Dural District and Cherrybrook Anglican Churches has raised a record 13,000 non-perishable food items.

It was Cherrybrook Anglican Church's first food drive and senior minister Gavin Poole said the church was still excited about the day, which saw 80 members of all ages handing out leaflets at the Cherrybrook Village Shopping Centre, knocking on doors, packing boxes and providing lunch for one another.

"Traditionally, church members have been a little reluctant to knock on doors to inform people about church activities, but everyone got behind the food drive and we’re all encouraged by how well the community responded."

It was the fourth food drive held by the Dural parish and their biggest ever according to rector, Fergus Semler.

"We first embarked on the food drive as a means of supporting ANGLICARE - but also as a way of reaching out and talking to neighbours, Mr Semler said.

"It's a very helpful activity for the church to do - for people in the community, it makes us more visible at a personal level and in order to build personal contacts, we try to have church members doorknocking near where they live.

"More than one member returned on Sunday reporting that people were recognising them, and saying they remembered them from last year.

"What we are hoping is that over time, if people have reason to seek out a church, they think of us and have had some warm contact with us," Mr Semler said.

Gavin Poole agreed that the food drive was a way of building up awareness of the church in Cherrybrook.

"We have been meeting in the Cherrybrook community centre for the last ten years," he said.

"We recently did a survey and found that only 11 per cent of people recalled there was a Cherrybrook Anglican Church meeting in the area.

"The food drive has helped us engage with the community in a way that pleases God and takes us a step towards helping the community spiritually," he said.

Felicia Fitzgerald, Anglicare's coordinator of emergency relief at Rooty Hill, said the contribution by the Dural parish had grown year by year.

"Anglicare at Rooty Hill distributes between 30-50 food parcels a week to single parent families; those coping with unemployment or illness; or people affected by addiction or relationship breakdown.

"The combined efforts of Dural and Cherrybrook churches will help us meet demand for up to six months," she said.

Peter Kell, Anglicare's CEO preached at both churches on the day of the food drive and said he was encouraged by the way this practical partnership with Anglicare had enabled the parishes to find an active and visible way to be seen as caring communities and to create more opportunities to share the gospel.