The holiday season is a time of celebration, spending time with friends and family often over a good meal.
But it is an unfortunate fact of life that there are people in the Barrhead area that do not have enough to eat and need the food bank to help make ends meet.
Robin Kapler, Barrhead and District FCSS advocacy and support co-ordinator, said that is why the Barrhead Food Bank and the Christmas hamper exist.
Recently Food Banks Canada released its 2016 HungerCount, a report on hunger and food bank use in Canada.
“Alberta has definitely seen an increase in usage in the last couple years,” she said.
According to the HungerCount over the last year Alberta food banks assisted 79,293, an increase of 17 per cent from 2015. The increase is even more dramatic over the last eight years. Since 2008, the number of people visiting Alberta food banks has risen by 136 per cent.
While Kaplar said she doesn’t have exact figures, usage in the Barrhead food bank has increased.
“We’ve been pretty busy,” she said. “The number of people asking for our services spiked about two or three years ago and it has remained at that level ever since,” she said.
When asked if she expects another increase due to the continuing economic slump in the province and with problems many farmers in the area had in harvesting their crops this fall, she said she wasn’t sure.
“When things like this happen, whether it be an economic downturn, a poor harvest, or a drop in the prices farmers are receiving for their products, it can take several months for us to see an impact because people try to make do with what they have first,” Kapler said.
Currently the food bank has enough stock to meet demands, but Kapler said just looking at the shelves can be deceiving.
“At this time of year we always receive more donations, which is great, because we use this time to stock pile for the New Year when donations tend to be a bit lower,” she said, adding helping bolster its stockpile are the two grocery stores’ Christmas hamper campaigns along with the many groups and individuals holding food drives.
In addition to the regular non-perishable items, Kapler said breakfast cereal, pancake mix and shampoo are items that are specifically needed.
For more information about the food bank contact the Barrhead and District FCSS at 780-674-3341. Donations can also be dropped off at the FCSS building at 5115-45 St. between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Financial donations are also accepted and cheques should be made out to Barrhead and District FCSS with food bank in the memo line.
For those needing to access the food bank services it is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Due to the holiday season, Kaplar noted there will be a change in Barrhead Food Bank hours as on Dec. 23 it will close at noon and will not reopen until Jan. 3.
The food bank will also be giving out Christmas Hampers to those individuals in need.
The hampers include everything a person needs to make a holiday meal starting with a turkey or a ham. Each hamper varies slightly because with the exception of the ham or turkey they are made with items that the food bank has on hand.
“Usually we include a box of Stove Top Stuffing, cranberry sauce and some vegetables, plus something like crackers and chocolates. Just to make their day a little special,” Kapler said.
As with most of FCSS programs, such as Santa’s Toy Box and the food bank, in order to qualify for hampers people must meet certain criteria.
“We use the LICOs (low income cut-offs) chart, the same one the government uses,” she said, adding that is why applicants are asked to submit information from their 2015 tax assessment form. People are also asked to bring a piece of identification to prove that they live in the Barrhead area along with Alberta Health Care cards for everyone in the family.
“We also look at folks individually, so we don’t want to discourage any one from applying because they think their income is too high. We understand people’s circumstances can change quickly and if you are in need come in and talk to us, we will do what we can to help,” she said, adding FCSS couldn’t do what they do without the help of the community. “We really do live in such a generous community. I don’t remember a time when the food bank shelves were empty or couldn’t make a hamper.”
Hampers will be distributed on Wednesday, Dec. 21 and FCSS will taking applications until then. Any donations after that date will be given to the food bank.
