Saskatoon Food Bank sees more people in need of nourishment
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Families with empty stomachs live in every corner of Saskatoon, and the number of people who use the city’s food bank is growing.
A troubling statistic has emerged from the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre as Hunger Awareness Week comes to a close. Last year, the organization saw an average of 15,000 people a month come in for food. So far this year, that number has increased to an average of between 16,000 and 18,000—or up to 3,000 more people a month.
“I’m hearing everyone talk about the rising cost of food. So that’s got to be putting a strain on people’s budgets,” said Laurie O’Connor, the food bank’s executive director.
She said the healthiest food is often the most expensive, and the food bank can only offer fresh produce during the summer and early fall.
O’Connor said the public might be surprised by the diversity of people needing to turn to the food bank. They come from nearly every neighbourhood in the city, she points out, not just the urban core. Some people even drive in from communities like Warman and Martensville, she said.
“A food basket is two to three days worth of food. So you know that people must be struggling if they’re willing to drive in to get a basket for two to three days, that they really must have not much on their shelves.”
