Regina Foodbank CEO says demand up about 40% from 2022

With sustained high food prices in grocery stores, the Regina Foodbank is continuing to see high demand and an increase in the frequency of clients, according to CEO John Bailey.

“We’re up about 30 per cent in terms of the number of folks we’re serving and we are also serving them more frequently, so our actual points of service are up about 40 per cent from last year,” Bailey told CTV Morning Live.

Bailey attributes the high demand for their service to several reasons, including recent economic pressures.

“Really I think there are a lot of reasons why demand is going up. When we look at the increased usage I think it’s the fact that folks were sort of close to the edge in terms of being food insecure previously and more recent economic pressures on households have pushed them that way.”

Bailey also said this time of year specifically can be tough for many families financially.

“Kids are getting prepared to go back to school, there’s lots of expenses tied to that and I think it’s just one of a bunch of things pushing those numbers up.

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In July the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report from Statistics Canada had Canada’s inflation at 3.3 per cent year-over-year.

According to the data, the cost of groceries rose 8.5 per cent in July. After a 9.1 increase in Jue.

Pasta products saw the highest increase from June to July, rising 10.1 per cent month-to-month.

Year-over-year the price of pasta products rose 17.1 per cent, data shows.

Bailey said that currently 40 per cent of Regina Foodbank clients are children.

“One of the big numbers on the rise are actually working folks, that’s seven to 10 per cent of folks that we’re serving everyday are sort of gain fully employed. So that’s a real swing for us it didn’t use to be that way and now wages just are not keeping up with the cost of things,” Bailey said.

According to Bailey, if people are able to donate to the Regina Foodbank items like canned soup, canned proteins and canned vegetables are valuable.

“If folks want to donate dollars that is where the real value comes in. We can turn one dollar into three meals.”

Bailey said if folks cannot donate money or items, donating their time and volunteering is also a good way to help out.

For more information about the Regina Foodbank people can go to their website.

-- With files from Natasha O'Neill.