Listen Live
Listen Live

PG food banks continue to see sharp rise in demand as winter approaches

Foot traffic at local food banks is rising between 20 and 25% as more people continue to struggle with the rising cost of living.

According to Food Banks Canada’s “Hunger Report” nearly two million Canadians accessed food bank services in March, a 32 percent increase than the year before.

St. Vincent de Paul | My PG Now

Bernie Goold with the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Prince George told MyPGNow.com that times are tough right now for much of the population.

“It’s gone up about 25% (the foot traffic) and our fruit and vegetable bags have gone up 40%. We give them out once a week and they have gone up by about 40%.”

Gould mentioned they continue to see an influx of seniors asking for food hampers, a scenario she believes is heartbreaking.

“It really does humble us to think that these people built the community and now their income does not allow them to buy what they need for the whole month.”

“It’s very humbling to see how many people are struggling. It truly is. You know we are grateful that we can lighten their load just slightly.”

Roy Law with the Salvation Army Food Bank says the impact of people struggling to pay for basic expenses is pretty far-reaching.

“Definitely things are different in the world right now. When we feel it ourselves personally that of course is going to trickle down even bigger for someone else.”

Law mentioned, that they too, are seeing some new faces come through the doors and also touched on the foods that are highest in demand.

“People that are even working but have the smaller wage jobs and now they have been forced to go over that threshold. The basics such as perishables like dairy, eggs, vegetables, and meat are the foods most in need.”

Food Banks Canada noted while B.C. may have the highest rate of poverty reduction, the province needs more work to bring it below the national average.

The report says the main reasons for this include the unaffordable housing market. They add around 40 percent of residents spend more than 30 percent of their monthly income on housing.

This means over 70 percent of food bank clients in B.C. are renters.

In addition, seniors, immigrants, single mothers, low-income workers, and people on social assistance are using food banks more but the study also shows people in higher income brackets are also now depending on food banks.

with files from Justin Waddell, My Cowichan Valley Now staff 

Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].

Brendan Pawliw
Brendan Pawliw
Since moving to Prince George in 2015, Brendan has covered local sports including the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, Prince George Spruce Kings, UNBC Timberwolves, Cariboo Cougars AAA, and Northern Capitals U18 female hockey teams. Career highlights include play-by-play during the Spruce Kings' BCHL championship runs in 2018 and 2019, including the Doyle Cup win. He also covered the 2019 National Junior A Championship, the 2017 Telus Cup, the 2022 World Women’s Curling Championship, and the 2022 BC Summer Games. Brendan is the news voice on 94.3 The Goat and Country 97 FM, reporting on crime, real estate, labour, and environmental issues. Outside of work, he officiates box lacrosse and fastball, sits on the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame board, and co-hosts the Hockey North podcast.

Continue Reading

cjci Now playing play

cirx Now playing play

- Advertisement -

Related Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest News

New-look Cougars sink their teeth into Portland

The Cougars find themselves off for the next 12 days before heading to Spokane for a two-game set against the Chiefs October 3rd and 4th.

Three workshops coming to Prince George for Alzheimer caregivers

The Alzheimer Society of B.C. will be hosting free workshops in Prince George next week.

Cops for Cancer Tour de North raises $245,000 for childhood cancer research

Emergency service crews that took part in this year's Cops for Cancer Tour de North wrapped up their seven day ride on Thursday in Prince Rupert.

Zach’s Sports Shorts; Saturday, September 20th

The regular season officially kicked off for the Prince George Cougars yesterday (Friday) after a 6-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks at home.

New faces shine for Cougars in season opener

That's starting the season with a bang.The Prince George Cougars opened their season with a 6-1 win over the Portland Winterhawks in front of 4,252 fans at the CN Centre.
- Advertisement -