Northwestern Ontario's food distribution association faces shortages of key food items

The Regional Food Distribution Association in northwestern Ontario says it's facing a shortage of its 10 key items it needs to provide food hampers for those within the community. 

The top 10 key items include canned fish or meat, macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables, pork and beans, peanut butter, pasta, pasta sauce, cereal, and canned soup.

"We are finding ourselves in a tough spot. Usually, if things start to look a little low, we can call on some other organizations to help us out, but we are finding that this is an issue across the province," said Brendan Carlin, the community services manager at the RFDA. 

Food banks across Ontario are feeling a similar shortage, and they've been worried about this happening for at least the past year, according to Feed Ontario's 2022 Hunger Report. 

"While food banks are working hard to meet this growing demand, their resources are finite and there is concern that the need could outpace the capacity of the provincial food bank network," the report states. 

With the cost of living continuing to rise post pandemic, many people who never used to rely on the service may need to now, Carlin said. In addition, inflation and cost of goods has created a barrier for the RFDA when it comes to purchasing the food for their programs. 

The Dew Drop Inn, which serves meals to vulnerable people in Thunder Bay has also noticed more patrons need the service as well. 

This is going to call for difficult decisions for not only the organizations, but for those who rely on the service. The RFDA will have to sacrifice healthier options with the reality that they know that the people who receive the hampers may have to make even tougher decisions for themselves.

"The choices they'd have to make would be any number of things… They have to either eat less or make a choice between maybe not paying something and paying for food instead," Carlin said. 

This shortfall comes as Canadians across the country are feeling the pain of high grocery bills. On Tuesday, the federal government's budget  acknowledged the rising cost of food by offering a grocery rebate that will provide eligible families up to $467, while single people without kids could get up to $234 more.

In the meantime, the staff and volunteers at the RFDA will continue to be resourceful with the means that they do have to supply food and meals to the community.

"We have been getting better at reclaiming some food from all of the retailers and the wholesalers…trying to make fresh and frozen foods from the food that has been donated at that end of shelf life," said Volker Krumm, the executive director at the RFDA. 

But the organization would always love to share more, with optimism of immediate assistance from the community, he said.