As the Christmas season, the season of giving, draws closer, some of those people who help others are worried about the demand for their services.
The Humboldt and District Food Bank (HDFB) has seen demand for their services rise about 20 per cent in the last year. The biggest concern for the HDFB is the increased number of children who are using the food bank's services, said Laura Willison, a board director.
"There's been an increase in the number of households and there are more children in the households," she explained.
Last year, the food bank saw about 50 users a month. This year, that number is up to about 60 per month, she noted. As of November 23, the HDFB had already had 56 users, and there was still one week left to go for the month.
"We're not sure what is causing the increase, but we think it's linked to increased housing costs and the increased cost of living," Willison said. "We feel it's the working poor that have to cut something, and it seems to be food."
While the food bank has been meeting the increased demand, they always need more non-perishable items, including cereal, juice, canned vegetables and fruit, along with items for children's lunches, Willison said. The HDFB tries to follow the Canada Food Guide when distributing food to users, but it depends on what they have in stock.
As well, the HDFB encourages users to only come to the food bank once a month.
"We want them to think about using us to get over a hump," Willison said.
While usage is up at the food bank, they are very thankful for the support they get from the local community.
"The donations of food and money to us from private individuals are very important to us," Willison said. "We have some people who are truly 'Friends of the Food bank' and support us regularly. Others remember our less fortunate at special times of the year, like Christmas or Thanksgiving. Some memorials have been sent our way, in remembrance of a loved on. All these donations are so important to us, and keep our food bank going."
Local businesses are also big supporters, providing deals on items and doing food drives, she noted.
The HDFB is also supported by a core of "awesome volunteers," Willison said.
Among those are students from St. Dominic School who come once a week to help stock shelves, clean, and package food, she explained.
The local schools also help out by holding food drives at various times through the year, Willison added.
"It just shows what a good community we have," she said.
The Good Neighbour Store in Humboldt is also a major sponsor of the food bank, Willison noted.
"Their annual dispersal of funds really helps us," she explained. "People need to know that when they support the Good Neighbour Store, they are supporting us as well."
