Emergency food bank in Sudbury in desperate need of donations
An emergency food bank is reaching out to Greater Sudbury residents to help them help people in need.
There are empty freezers, fridges and shelves at the Inner City Home of Sudbury emergency food bank right now.
"It's despair, it's anxiety because we are actually facing the same thing that our clients are facing," said Ro Mullen, the administrator at the Inner City Home of Sudbury.
"It gives us a bit more empathy for what they are going through because if we can't get it and we are the supplier, then how much harder is it for people in the community to access it?"
Joe Drago, president of the food bank's board of directors, said they are short not only food, but also money and volunteers.
"So we are in need of some drastic help," Drago said.
While food donations are always welcome, officials said monetary donations are preferred.
"Monetary donations are really fine for us because we have an arrangement that with $1 we can buy $3 worth of food," said Drago.
"So if you give us a can, as I keep saying, we get the can. But if we get a dollar we can buy three times the amount of food that we need."
Officials said so far this year, the emergency food bank has seen a 40 per cent increase in people needing help with food insecurity.
"We are seeing a huge increase in new families who are working and just can't afford with even two, three jobs they just can't make it," said Mullen.
"We are seeing a lot of newcomers to Sudbury and we are seeing a lot of elderly people coming in who normally would make it on a pension and now are not making it."
Inner City Home of Sudbury will resume free courses in September offering some strategies and tips on managing difficult situations, having conflict-free communication and building self-esteem.
Officials said there is a strong interest in the courses right now as people face things like food insecurity, stress and isolation and want help dealing with these issues.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.