Dr. Denise Daley, executive director of Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank, arranges food boxes at the organization's headquarters in Halifax on Dec. 18.Darren Calabrese/The Globe and Mail
In a year of high inflation, housing unaffordability and stagnant social assistance rates, food bank usage reached record highs in Canada in 2023.
In Halifax, where the Parker Street food bank gives out roughly 1,000 food boxes a month, executive director Denise Daley said they had 300 new clients sign up in August alone.
In British Columbia’s Central Okanagan region, the local food bank is now serving more than 8,300 people each month – up 50 per cent over last year, executive director Trevor Moss said.
And on the Prairies, every one of Food Bank Saskatchewan’s 36 member organizations has had trouble filling their Christmas hamper orders, with demand rising through the roof. They, too, have had a 50-per-cent increase since the start of the pandemic.
“Just in the month of March, we served over 38,000 people and over 40 per cent of those were children,” executive director Michael Kincade said.
“We’re seeing more and more working families, and working individuals. … People were just walking the line before, and could make do. And now all of a sudden they are having to use food banks.”
But at the same time that demand is rising, donations have slowed in many places, for similar reasons. And the goods that do come in don’t always match the community’s needs.
As the year draws to a close and people are feeling in the giving holiday spirit, the three food bank managers spoke with The Globe and Mail about what’s highest on their donation wish list this holiday season:
Customers stand in line at the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank in Halifax.Darren Calabrese/The Globe and Mail
Cash
While it may feel less tactile of a donation, food banks are able to stretch a dollar much further than any individual, through bulk purchasing and special deals with grocery stores and even local farmers or butchers. They also know what’s most needed, and can buy accordingly.
“Number one, from a food bank’s perspective, cash is better because they can maximize the money,” said Mr. Moss of the Central Okanagan Food Bank, which has branches in Kelowna and West Kelowna.
“For every dollar that someone gives us, we can provide $3 worth of food – because we have relationships with manufacturers, retail stores, farmers.”
Cash donations also give organizations the flexibility to reallocate, depending on what other programs they may have on offer.
For example, in Halifax, the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank also offers an emergency assistance program for people who’ve fallen behind on household bills or cannot afford their prescription medications. But funds have not kept pace with “overwhelming” demand for such assistance, said Ms. Daley – and the bank was forced to cancel the program from May to September of this year, until it could replenish their coffers.
Ms. Daley said she’s seeing a rise in need, all-round. The bank had 300 new clients register for food boxes in August of this year alone, she said, and it was already distributing more than 1,000 boxes each month.
“The need is increasing, and what we are also finding is that a lot of our clients are actually working – but it’s so hard to make ends meet,” Ms. Daley said. “So they’re looking for some assistance. Do I pay the bills, pay for medication, or do I buy food?”
Consistency
While food banks welcome a one-time donation around the holidays, they say splitting (or better yet, multiplying) those donations into recurring gifts throughout the year helps them to know what’s coming.
“That $10 a month turns into $120 over the year – or, you know, $100 a month turns into $1,200,” said Mr. Kincade, of Food Banks Saskatchewan. “It goes a long way and they don’t notice it as much.”
In B.C., Mr. Moss also stressed that the need does not disappear come January.
“There is a misconception out there that it’s only needed during the holidays,” Mr. Moss said. “And while there is increased attention during the holidays, food insecurity is year-round – and there are ongoing needs, and that’s how we need to combat food insecurity.”
For those who prefer to give physical groceries, Trevor Moss of the Central Okanagan Food Bank recommends donating makeshift meal kits. Here, Dr. Daley arranges food boxes at the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank in Halifax.Darren Calabrese/The Globe and Mail
Balanced meals
Mr. Moss recognizes that some people prefer to give physical groceries, especially if children are involved, to make it more of a tactile or teachable experience.
In that case, he suggested donors assemble a makeshift meal kit, covering off any sides that might also be needed for a meal. Add sauce, and maybe a salad kit or some fresh or frozen vegetables.
“So for instance … they could go buy a turkey, dressing, potatoes, carrots, onions – and actually deliver that to the food bank,” he said. “And then the food bank can take that and give that to a family.”
He also suggests consulting with the food bank closest to you, to see if there is anything specific they could use. For example, his organization has recently been buying more vegetables, milk and eggs.
And across Saskatchewan, Mr. Kincade said the locations are always looking for items high in protein, such as canned meats or tuna. “And we don’t get a lot of margarine or butter or anything like that donated of course, so that’s always something to think of.”
They also stressed that pantry staples or baking ingredients go a long way.
“Grains, flours and sugars – even baking supplies, so people can make their own bread. You’ve got to realize, we serve people who have homes and kitchens. They’re cooking and baking and making meals,” Mr. Kincade said, noting that people who are homeless are typically accessing food through soup kitchens. “These are your friends, your neighbours, your family members.”
Toiletries and other items
Household necessities have also been hit hard by inflation, the food banks said – and are becoming increasingly valuable donations, as a result.
“Toilet paper or paper towel, any toiletries, diapers, pet food – we do appreciate those donations because we hand those out as well,” Ms. Daley said.
Parker Street also offers a furniture bank for clients, though it is best to check whether such items are accepted by your local organization.
What the food banks don’t want, they stress, are your closet or pantry rejects – especially anything expired.
“I hate to say it, but you know, when people donate stuff, that’s usually the stuff they don’t want when they’re cleaning out the pantry,” Mr. Kincade said. “Well, you know, our clients don’t want it either – like the can of oysters or whatever.”