The punishing toll inflation is taking on the pocketbooks of Canadians is seen every day at the Barrie Food Bank.
The Thanksgiving Food Drive, which launched Sept. 27 with a goal of collecting 150,000 pounds of food and $150,000 in cash, still has a ways to go.
As of Thursday, Oct. 6, the food bank was halfway to its financial total and had received 25,000 pounds of food.
"We continue to see growing numbers of people looking for support," says executive director Sharon Palmer.
September saw a 53 per cent increase in households needing assistance compared to the same month last year, while the number of families using the food bank was up a whopping 64 per cent in September compared to a year ago.
Broken down, 1,438 households accessed the food bank last month, or approximately 2,100 individuals, which is record-breaking.
The food bank has also had to juggle its bank account as costs rise.
"We used to stock the larger sizes of diapers, all the time," says Palmer. "But now we are relying on donations for the larger sizes."
Palmer says they are also focusing on food recovery, working with grocery stores and farmers to get more food donations to keep up with demand.
On-line donations can be made at BarrieFoodBank.org/donate or cheques can be mailed to P.O. Box 145, Barrie Ontario L4M 4S9, or delivered to 42 Anne Street S., Unit 2 – Monday to Friday 8:30 to 3:30. Tax receipts are provided.
