Christmas is a time of giving. For that reason, food banks usually see a rise in donations. But inflation has changed the holiday landscape in Canada.
According to the Food Price Report, a Canadian family’s food bill is expected to rise by over $1,000 next year.
This holiday season, Canadians across the country are struggling to put food on the table. With no other options in sight, many are turning to food banks.
In Alberta, some food banks are now seeing an over 60 percent increase in demand. To make matters worse, these food banks are also getting fewer donations.
With more mouths to feed and not enough food to do it, food banks like Edmonton’s Food Bank (EFB) are being stretched thin.
According to EFB’s executive director Marjorie Bencz, demand has increased by double of what it was two years ago.
In addition to providing donations to hungry Albertans, the EFB sends food from its warehouse to other food banks in the province.
Before the pandemic turned the world upside down, between 15 and 20 food banks relied on the EFB for food. Now, the organization receives requests from as many as 90 food banks every month.
But there is some hope for Alberta’s food banks. The Alberta government recently announced it will invest $20 million over two years to food-focused charities in the province.
A total of $10 million will go toward supporting food banks. A portion of this money will be used to cover the cost and transport of food as well as help pay front-line staff this month.
The remaining $10 million will support donation-matching campaigns. Through these campaigns, the Alberta government will match up to $15 million in donations until the end of this month.
But with the economy in the dumpster, is this really the solution Alberta needs? Wouldn’t this money be better spent addressing the root of the problem?
Albertans are having their wallets bled dry by grocery stores every day, not just during the holidays.
In March 2022, almost 160,000 Albertans had to rely on food banks. That’s more than a 30 percent increase compared to 2021. Many of these people were children or had families.
At the NDP conference, Arianna Scott, the CEO of Food Banks Alberta stated, “we are seeing people who used to be donors to food banks now becoming clients of food banks.”
This is the reality for thousands of Albertans. Hunger doesn’t take any days off.
