With food prices still going up, one Island food bank has been seeing more use from their community.
Joanne Watson, manager of the Campbell River district food bank, says they have noticed an increase in both usage and need, with a total of 3,180 people that were taken care of by the bank last month.
“We also help out seven different agencies in town, like community kitchens and they serve about 2,000 people a day on top of the food we are able to donate,” said Watson.
“The need is really growing for seniors, children, and we are really noticing an increase in the working class.”
She says that the food banks across Canada are not funded municipally, federally, or provincially.
“The problem with the food banks is that we pay what you pay at the store,” said Watson.
“So a pallet of peanut butter will set our food bank back 9,000 dollars, so I need to have 9,000 dollars’ worth of donations come in to provide that one item on our menu list.”
Some changes she would like to see include seeing food prices decrease, education on what you are having in your household, and doing some meal planning as a way to save money.
