The Barrie Food Bank needs your help - a lot of it.
It Launches its spring food drive today (March 1), looking to collect 100,000 pounds of food and $250,000.
The need is greater than it's ever been. More than 7,200 people visited the food bank in January - twice as many as a year ago.
Among the recipients, 655 individuals were accessing the food bank for the first time.
Emergency Food Services provided to individuals experiencing homelessness or requiring additional support between monthly shops soared to 540 in January, nearly triple the figures from the previous year.
The School Fuel program supports over 5,600 children across 22 local schools in Barrie, ensuring access to healthy snack foods for school-aged children facing food insecurity.
Sharon Palmer, the Executive Director of the Barrie Food Bank, says dwindling supplies and the necessity to ration food quantities provided to visitors, reflect the surge in the number of individuals and families seeking assistance.
"This isn't a decision we take lightly, but rather a reflection of the growth in the number of individuals and families seeking support. Together, we can ensure no one goes hungry during these challenging times."
The Spring Campaign aims to keep the shelves stocked throughout the spring and summer months, ensuring continuous support for those facing hunger and hardship in the community. Various ways to contribute to the campaign include making secure online donations, dropping off cheques or cash at the Barrie Food Bank headquarters, donating non-perishable food items at designated bins in local grocery stores, or organizing food drives on behalf of companies or organizations.
For those interested in organizing a food drive, arrangements can be made by contacting donations@barriefoodbank.org for food collection bin drop-off and pickup.
For more information and to contribute to the campaign, visit barriefoodbank.org/donate.
banner image: supplied
