Joan Skelton sorting at the Kamloops Food Bank warehouse on Tuesday, Oct. 29. (Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

HUNGER COUNT 2024

Growth of food insecurity underlined in national report, reflected at Kamloops Food Bank

Oct 29, 2024 | 6:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — A new report authored by Food Banks Canada is showing food bank usage has reached the highest number in Canadian history, with more than two million monthly visits reported this year.

The Hunger Count 2024 report shows there has been a 90 per cent increase compared to pre-pandemic years. Those who need emergency food supports are coming from all demographics, something the Kamloops Food Bank has seen locally.

“In March of 2019, there were one million (monthly) visits to food banks across the country. This year in 2024, there were two million,” Kamloops Food Bank executive director Bernadette Siracky says of the national report.

The Canada-wide data confirms what the Kamloops Food Bank has experienced on a regional level — a noticeable increase in first time users and more frequent visits from existing clientele.

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“One of the facts that was released with this report is 70 per cent of people who access food banks are in market rental housing,” adds Siracky, “so they really are using their money to pay rent. We know how expensive that is, and certainly how hard [housing] is to find here in B.C.”

Children make up about one-third of food bank recipients. In Kamloops, much of those youth and infant supplies are gathered and distributed through initiatives such as the Starfish Backpack program, the FoodShare perishable items program, the Baby Bank, and B100’s Basics for Babies.

“Because when you’re living below the poverty line, there are some stories where children don’t have enough diapers to be changed every time that they need to be changed. These are real stories, so we need to ensure that they have that baseline, those basics to be able to develop properly and be comfortable while they’re doing so,” said Siracky. “It’s really our job as a community.”

Food banks are emergency resources and Siracky says the Kamloops Food Bank knows they’re not the answer to poverty, adding that this nationwide increase isn’t sustainable.

“What Food Banks Canada has done in this report is they’ve collated data from across the country. And often, what they will do with this report is they will create policy recommendations,” she explains. “One of them this time… is for the federal government to consider a groceries and essentials benefit.”

Longtime volunteers like Joan Skelton are sorting and distributing because they’re aware of the need and the influx of visits reinforces their resolve to help out.

“Yes, I’ve recognized quite a few people coming through. And that’s the way it is. Some people can’t afford to make ends meet. Day-to-day expenses are so high, they have to come,” notes Skelton. “But yeah, I’ve had some friends that I’ve seen here.”

That makes donations of food, money and time all the more valuable.

“There’s a real sense of family here,” Skelton says of the people working and volunteering for the local food bank. “Everybody is here for a common cause. We all believe in it and we work hard at it.”