GLACE BAY, N.S. -- A Maritime man raced from one island to another this week to help Cape Bretoners in need.

A special delivery of milk and produce arrived at the Cape Breton food bank on Wednesday, thanks to a good Samaritan from P.E.I.

Keith Roberts arrived in Glace Bay, N.S., on Wednesday morning with a trailer full of potatoes, carrots and milk for the food bank.

But his trip from one island to the other wasn’t as smooth as he had hoped.

“I got to the bridge and it wasn’t open because of the wind, so I sat there for five hours, and then finally said, ‘Enough is enough’, and went home. The bridge didn’t open up until about 10:30 p.m. last night,” explains Roberts.

After seeing a story on CTV News about a milk drive for those in need during the pandemic, Roberts realized he could help and decided to do so.

This was before restrictions were put into place, and his provincial border was restricted to non-essential travel.

“I’d like to get back to the ferry for 4 p.m. I use it as an essential service, that way I don’t have to isolate for 14 days hopefully,” says Roberts. “This is produce and I’m not here in town to go to the restaurants or anything else. As soon as they empty it, I’ll head back and hopefully they’ll understand.”

The delivery couldn’t have come at a better time for the food bank.

“This is amazing,” says Michelle Kalbhenn of the Glace Bay Food Bank. “We were at the end of our milk, so it came at the perfect time. This will last us for the complete year again, we’re just very grateful.”

Kalbhenn says Roberts and his delivery will make a big difference for some families during the holidays and the cold winter months.

“Normally we get about 300 orders at Christmastime. I believe we’re going to hit about 400 this year,” says Kalbhenn.

It didn’t take long for volunteers to empty Roberts’ trailer, before he raced back to the ferry to get back to P.E.I.

But despite the rush and travel difficulties, Roberts says he would do it all again.

“Why wouldn’t you help people? You help people whenever you can. There’s no reason why you can’t, especially if you don’t have anything going at the time,” says Roberts.