Need for the Food Bank Increasing
According to new Statistics Canada data, more than one million Canadians lost their jobs last month, and more than one in eight Canadians are experiencing food insecurity due to a lack of money.
Food Banks Forced to Get Creative
At Halifax’s Souls Harbour Rescue Mission sit-down meals are a thing of the past at the drop-in centre, where 100 hot meals used to be served every weekday. Now, the mission is offering take-out only.
The City of Toronto has repurposed nine libraries as temporary food banks, in an effort to help vulnerable residents. Toronto will be creating more food bank-type locations in Toronto Community Housing buildings and other community centres.
Guru Nank’s Free Kitchen, a food aid program in Vancouver, recently shifted its operation to work out of a tractor trailer in order to reach people in their communities.
Staying Safe, Staying Sanitized
Food providers are also facing new procedures in cleaning standards, changes which are being made in order to keep both volunteers and patrons safe.
Two Food Banks in the Okanagan, BC say for the time being, volunteers won’t be interacting with patrons when it comes to selecting items for food hampers. Instead, a client’s hamper will be pre-packaged for them.