Regina Food Bank continues to see increase in usage
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought a steady rise in food bank usage across Canada.
Now record-setting inflation is keeping food banks busy.
CEO of the Regina Food Bank John Bailey, said the same can be said in the Queen City.
“We’re up about 10 per cent since January,” Bailey said. “That has a lot to do with some of the ongoing economic pressures with the pandemic but also that ties in with some of the inflationary costs we’re seeing too. It’s just more people needing our support,” he said.
Bailey said inflation has caused many people one the edge to go over to a point where they need the food banks’ support.
“Our hope is that it’s short term, but it [usage] continues to be on the rise for several months now where this inflationary pressure has been causing an increase in demand,” Bailey said.
Bailey said during the pandemic the food bank saw about 290-300 hampers per day, which is in the neighborhood of around 1,000 people per day.
Recently they have been around 320 hampers a day, which Bailey said adds another 60-70 households.
“As we go along we’re looking at seeing how much more we need to expand our daily service because the wait time for hampers is continuing to creep up on us, so we keep adding more capacity in terms of what we’re getting out the door.”
Currently, Bailey said monetary donations are the most helpful because it allows them to buy directly from producers and wholesalers and get the foods they need most to families as they need it.
Donations can be made at ReginaFoodBank.ca.
“The other thing is as we sort of come out of COVID-19 and restrictions we’re always looking for volunteers. So if you want to go to our website and sign up to volunteer the donation of time is also always appreciated,” Bailey said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.