South Okanagan food bank, community fridge grappling with rising demand
Global News
Food banks and other organizations say food and money donations are needed now more than ever.
As inflation continues to drive up the cost of living, including food prices, far more people are turning to organizations like food banks for help.
According to Major Paul Trickett, head of the Penticton Salvation Army Food Bank, they’ve nearly doubled the amount of ‘grab and go bags’ being given out each day.
“I would estimate we were doing around 75 to 100 a year, a year and a half ago. Now we’re up over 200 bags a day, every single day of the week,” said Trickett.
“We’re also doing 20 to 30 hammers a day as well and providing clothing and different things for people as they need.”
He went on to say that the type of people that they are serving has drastically changed.
“The scary thing that I’m finding right now is senior citizens, our big demographic that we haven’t seen in the past, that it’s getting scary the amount of senior citizens that are coming to get what we call our grab-and-go bags every day,” said Trickett.
“It’s increasing month to month. It’s getting worse and worse as we see food prices rising and as the cost of living, gas, everything like that people are stretched and just can’t feed themselves.”
The Salvation Army Food Bank isn’t the only organization feeling the pinch of rising food costs. Food and other items have been flying off the shelves at Penticton’s Community Fridge and Pantry.