Cape Breton community pantries struggle to stay stocked amid growing demand, fewer donations

Community pantries in Cape Breton that offer free food and other goods are struggling to keep their shelves stocked as the rising cost of groceries leads to a greater demand for the service and fewer donations from Good Samaritans.

"The pantries are getting cleared out a lot," said Jodi McDavid, executive director of Cape Breton Transition House, a shelter in Sydney for women and children. 

"There's probably a lot more people accessing them … but on the other hand, I think a lot of people who used to buy extra groceries and support them are no longer able to do that either."

McDavid is part of the Northend Sydney Food Pantry Group on Facebook, which is dedicated to keeping two of the pantries in the north end of Sydney as full as possible.

With more than 500 members, the group is full of posts from volunteers and organizations letting each other know when the cupboards are bare, which seems to be more often than not in recent months.

"I put stuff in ... one on Friday, but there were five people there for food so the stuff didn't last long," wrote one member on June 26. "The fridge was empty and there was only a package of pasta and two cans of some kind of beans."

Statistics Canada said the price of food — everything from fresh vegetables to meat to cooking oil — jumped 9.7 per cent in May compared to the previous year. That matches the rise in April.

A survey released last month by Food Banks Canada found almost a quarter of Canadians reported eating less than they should because of affordability issues.

Megan Henderson, a nutrition student at Mount Saint Vincent University, is interning at the Better Bite Café and community kitchen. The café, which is located in New Dawn Enterprises, often fills the pantry and community fridge located on site.

On several occasions, Henderson has found people waiting outside for the pantry and fridge to be stocked.

"It's really sad or unfortunate to know that they're here waiting for people to deliver food, and that's crazy to me because we fill it every single day and it's gone every single day," she said.

"That sort of speaks to how often it's used … and how much it's needed."

Last Friday evening, Ann Marie Wells was one of the people waiting at the nearby picnic table for Henderson to come out with leftover sandwiches, wraps, cookies, and other goods that were being distributed for free.

"You go in the store with a $20 bill and you're coming out with a few things and you've got nothing," said Wells. "It's unbelievable."