Salvation Army official Armida LaMarr and Michael O’Connell, vice president of planning and marketing for Mount Auburn Hospital, show some of the 3,200 pounds of food the hospital gathered for the charity in an annual drive.

This year’s collection of canned goods by Mount Auburn Hospital gathered 3,200 pounds of Thanksgiving food for the Salvation Army of Cambridge, hospital officials announced Friday. Mount Auburn has hosted similar efforts for the past two years, including a summer drive to feed children off from school who will lack the meals served there.

The Salvation Army of Cambridge plans to deliver more than 250 Thanksgiving baskets to needy families in Cambridge and expects to help hundreds more in December, said Armida LaMarr, an officer with the local branch of the charity group.

“The Salvation Army depends upon the help of others to meet the needs of the families we serve,” LaMarr said. “Without friends like Mount Auburn Hospital we would not be as effective in reaching out to those who need our assistance.”

In addition to the food drives and gift-giving throughout the year, the group runs an overnight men’s shelter, transitional housing, a day care for homeless children and a program for senior citizens.

For this holiday season officials hope for donations of new toys, clothes and nonperishable food for the families they serve. They are especially in need of canned vegetables and fruit, instant potatoes, stuffing and soups, they said. Volunteering and donations of money throughout the year are also a help, and they are looking for volunteers to sort items, pack bags and to stand at kettles to collect money. The Salvation Army of Cambridge is at 402 Massachusetts Ave.

For information, call (617) 547-3400.

This post was written from a press release.