The demand is up but the supply is short at the Salvation Army Food Bank in Williams Lake.
Director of Family Services and Community Outreach, Tamara Robinson said generally at this time of year their food bank is full, but they saw a real decrease this past Christmas in the donations they received which would have carried them through until June.
“So far this year we have already placed orders at various locations in town for about six thousand dollars worth of food and that food has already left our shelves”.
And that’s due in large part by the increasing number of people looking for their assistance
“We’ve seen an increase of 39 percent in our food bank”, Robinson said, “So that’s families that have either moved to Williams Lake from the Lower Mainland looking for some reprieve in the housing market or there are families affected by either curtailments or layoffs in the Lake City and they’re coming to us for assistance as well”.
The 39-percent increase compared to January of 2019 to last month is something they’re not used to seeing.
With the shelves at the Food Bank running low which Robinson said isn’t typical for this time of year, she has to come up with ways to help keep them stocked.
“As of right now I’m dipping into different budgets to try to purchase money for the Food Bank which then, of course, cuts other services so we’re working really hard to make sure that doesn’t happen but I’m already well into my budget for 2020 for food and so that to me is very concerning”.
Robinson added that she shouldn’t have to really have to start purchasing food until June and I’m already purchasing food in early February
Right now the Salvation Army Food Bank in Williams Lake is handing out 3 to 4 hundred hampers a month and any donations would be greatly appreciated anytime between 9 and 4 Monday to Friday