Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Spencer Mielke

Local News

Local food drive returning on the weekend as inflation continues to rise

Apr 27, 2023 | 4:36 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Spring Rotary Food Drive returns this Saturday (April 29) as high inflation rates push the need for donations. Partnered with the Kamloops Rotary Club, the food bank is experiencing the highest rates of people needing their services in the 15 years they have been running.

The donation for this drive is expected to stock the shelves for the next 3 to 4 months. This will help those in need considering the high number of food bank visits the past few months.

“Last month we actually experienced the largest number of visits that we ever have in our history at the food bank. We had 3,100 visits — that’s just on site here.” Executive Director of the Kamloops Food Bank Bernadette Siracky told CFJC Today.

Volunteers are helping with the incoming surge of donations as many have been volunteering at the food bank for over a decade.

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“It’s an incredible feeling. Sometimes you have to stop and look at how lucky we really are,” longtime volunteer Derek Johnston told CFJC Today. “You come here and see the people that require the food bank and that’s — a lot of times — what they end up having to eat.”

In addition, Siracky says the food bank will be eliminating single use plastic bags and will be switching to paper bags come fall. Residents are reminded to leave their yellow donation bags out on their doorsteps by 9:00 am Saturday or drop their donations off directly at the Kamloops Food Bank on the North Shore.