Sault food bank sees usage spike in 2021
Staff at St. Vincent Place in Sault Ste. Marie say food bank usage was up considerably in 2021 as it prepares to meet the challenges of the new year.
They're blaming a variety of factors including job losses tied to the pandemic and rising food costs for the spike in food bank demand.
"Over the last quarter of 2021, compared to the previous year, our food bank usage increased by 42 per cent," says Shauna DiGasparro, a member of the St. Vincent Place Board of Directors. "So it's pretty evident what the need is in our community."
DiGasparro says the impact of the pandemic on the local employment picture, whether it be job loss or a sharp decrease in part-time hours, is likely what's driving the increase in demand. She adds rising grocery bills are also a factor.
"Increased food costs increases our demand, but at the same time it costs us more money to purchase the staples, she says.
Along with the donors, volunteers are what keeps St. Vincent Place going. Sonia Dube says volunteering at the food bank has helped her to understand her community better.
"You learn to be more generous, you learn more about what's going on in your community, about all the processes that go on with all of the different social services," says Dube. "It's been a real eye-opener for us. Particularly in the last couple of years about what's going on in the Soo about the hidden homeless."
Staff at St. Vincent Place say demand for hot meals, which are prepared twice weekly, has also greatly increased. They're hoping for a successful "Coldest Night of The Year" fundraiser, which is set for late February.
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