
The amount of people relying on the food bank across Canada is the highest its been in over 15 years.
That is also the case at the Kamloops Food Bank, according to its Executive Director Bernadette Siracky, who says the demand these days is more than what it was during the 2008 recession.
“What we find at Food Banks is we see an increase in client usage, sort of just before the news reports start of why; so we’re a bit of a bellwether, and this is the highest increase since that time.”
According to the March 2022 Hunger Count, food bank usage increased 15 per cent year-over-year, which Siracky says is seen across the board nationally, provincially, and locally.
However, she explains the upward trend doesn’t quite line up with the unemployment rate.
“What we’ve noted in this report this year is that unemployment is the lowest it’s been since 1973,” she explained. “In last March we saw 1.5 million Food Bank visits across the country and that’s just not okay in this country, Why is that happening?”
Siracky says the people most impacted by rising food costs, and high inflation rates are those on a fixed income.
“Whether that be seniors focused on disability, students, or anybody who is experiencing a fixed income. Where are they supposed to get an extra $100 for rent or an extra $100 for a trip to the grocery store? There is nowhere else to get that money.”
Inflation, rising food prices, and an increased client base are the top three things Siracky says are causing a notable increase in operational costs at the food bank.