Hunger isn’t taking summer vacation
Toronto, ON—Canada's largest food bank is reporting a sharp increase in need—just as many churches and individuals are taking the summer off from donating.
A recent report by The Daily Bread Food Bank showed that food bank usage in Toronto increased by 15% from April 2009 to March of this year. This is the largest one-year increase the organization has seen since the mid 1990s.
Executive director Gail Nyberg says that while numbers have remained steady since the winter, donations have still not increased to meet the demand. This is especially concerning, as many of those who donate to food banks take the summer off.
"It becomes a very hard go in the summer for food banks," Nyberg says. "One of the things I like to remind people is that donors go on vacation in the summer. Clients don't."
Much of the money donated during the winter is saved to buy food in the summer when donations are down.
"I just signed over $100,000 of purchase orders today," Nyberg says. "Pasta, pasta sauce, beans… We purchase a lot in the summer."
Some 171 agencies, organizations and churches receive food bank donations from Daily Bread, including Yonge Street Mission.
According to Janice Rainey, assistant director of YSM, their food bank now see about 500 more people visiting the food bank monthly than they did a year ago, with over 150 new clients joining their books each month.
"Demand is up," Rainey says. "New people are constantly coming in needing help."
Rainey says that increased need has led YSM to recently started referring some clients to other food banks. They have especially started turning away single people, in order to focus on families.
YSM also ran a community kitchen late in the spring, with classes on how to make best use of the food that clients were getting from the food bank.
Stephanie Lear, marketing manager of YSM, says they are looking for ways to encourage people to make donating to food banks part of their summer celebrations.
"If we could ask for one thing it would be for people to start a summer food drive," Lear says, "with your colleagues, your neighborhood… If you're having a barbeque ask people to bring something extra for the food bank. It's an easy way to give back to the community. There's always a constant need. Our shelves cannot be full enough."
YSM has been using their newsletter and email blasts to make donors aware when the shelves get sparse. Daily Bread has also recently begun using social media like Facebook and Twitter.
"We're trying to do everything we can to increase donations," Nyberg says, "and also to let those who are newly hungry understand that there is something out there."
Dear Readers:
ChristianWeek relies on your generous support. please take a minute and donate to help give voice to stories that inform, encourage and inspire.
Donations of $20 or more will receive a charitable receipt.Thank you, from Christianweek.
