Regina Food Bank marks 40 years of operation

The Regina Food Bank (RFB) is marking 40 years of operations this year—a major milestone the organization wishes it could avoid.

“This is the kind of business that you don’t want to grow,” said Wondwosen Wmariam, a 22-year employee with RFB.

Wmariam, who grew up in Ethiopia, first joined the food bank in 2001 after he was shocked to learn that people in Canada struggled with food insecurity.

At that time, he thought there was a huge need from residents. However, he said the demand has tripled during his career.

“If you don’t have the proper food, you can’t have a normal life,” he said.

The RFB began as a grassroots operation in the basement of a former church on the corner of McIntyre Street and 7th Avenue.

The organization served only hundreds of people its infancy. Now, the RFB serves roughly 12,000 individuals with more than 100,000 points of service each year—a higher demand than they experienced during the pandemic.

“When food bank numbers go up, they don’t tend to come back down,” said John Bailey, RFB CEO.

“This is the first time we’ve ever seen unemployment numbers drop and food bank usage go up. That’s never happened in the history of our organization.”

Bailey said it is a stark reminder of the financial challenges families are facing right now.

While a broad spectrum of users rely on the food bank each month, the younger demographic is in the greatest need. Roughly 40 per cent of food bank users are children, according to Bailey.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE HAMPER

The RFB has expanded its hamper options over the decades.

On top of the standard hamper that is offered, food bank users can also choose from halal and vegetarian options.

“That choice piece is so critical in delivering the dignity and autonomy to the folks we serve and that’s really what we’re striving for,” Bailey said.

There are plans to increase users’ choice. The RFB is looking to expand to a second location that would act more like a grocery store and allow people to choose the food they want to take home.

Bailey said the second location is in the design phase and hopes to have it open in the next year or so.

Besides the options, the quality of food has also improved, according to Wmariam, and the food bank does its best to utilize everything that comes through its doors. The food bank’s commercial kitchen is where that happens.

Joan Haas is one of the kitchen volunteers. She helps process food, divvy up and re-package large portions of meat, and prepare frozen meals.

“Food service or food is what I know because that’s where I worked in Edmonton, so this was the closest thing,” Haas said, who has been volunteering in the kitchen for the last two years.

The team in the commercial kitchen is also responsible for helping feed more than 1,700 elementary students who are part of the school lunch program. The RFB makes hundreds of sandwiches and snacks each week to send to six different schools in the city.

“It’s a way of giving back and it’s personal satisfaction as well,” Haas said.

Last year, the food bank relied on more than 14,000 volunteer hours.