Food bank need not decreasing in Brandon

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/10/2024 (403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A recent study of food bank use across Canada presented statistics earlier this week showing a slight decrease in demand in their services in Manitoba compared to last year, but staff at Brandon’s only food bank said that’s not the case locally.

“I know Harvest (Manitoba) has seen an increase,” said Samaritan House Ministries executive director Barb McNish. “We’ve seen an increase. Some of the northern communities have seen an increase.”

The HungerCount 2024 report issued by Food Banks Canada states there were 2,059,636 food bank visits in March — a record high.

Across the whole country, the report states that there was a 90 per cent increase in food bank use since March 2019 and a six per cent increase since March 2023.

The increases in Manitoba aren’t quite as dire. Since March 2019, the report said there has been a one per cent increase in food bank use and a decrease of 3.25 per cent since March 2023.

Though McNish told the Sun that the report includes statistics from their food bank, she said they haven’t seen a decrease in usage.

This year and last year, McNish said the food bank has recorded 1,995 new clients or clients who have returned after a long absence.

Of the food bank’s clientele, McNish said 40 per cent are children and 12 per cent are seniors.

“That to me is staggering,” McNish said of the increased demand. “There’s new people coming all the time.”

The total number of hampers distributed in 2023 was around 35,000.

Between January and September, McNish said 24,994 food hampers had been distributed by Samaritan House.

“One day last week, we had over 150 people coming for our monthly hampers in one day,” McNish told the Sun.

While the number of clients increases, McNish said donations are not keeping pace. She said people apologize for not contributing as much as they used to.

A few years ago, Samaritan House started offering a grocery-style experience where clients can pick out items laid out on shelves in an attempt to give them more agency.

Heather Symbalisty, McNish’s executive assistant who is poised to take over operations once McNish retires on Dec. 15, said that approach is still working out.

“It provides that ability to just shop like you would in the store, create that human interaction between our volunteers and our shoppers,” she said.

“We get to know them at a better level.”

A benefit of that system, McNish said, is that clients have the option of not taking items they don’t want or cannot use.

However, due to limitations, the food bank has had to put limits on the number of certain items clients can take, like boxes of Kraft Dinner.

Currently, the shelter’s list of most-wanted donations includes soups, stews, infant formula, whole grain pasta, whole grain cereal, 100 per cent fruit juice, canned vegetables, canned proteins, diapers and kids’ snacks.

McNish said Samaritan House is grateful for local food drive events like Cedar Hollow Scare Away Hunger and Calvary Temple’s recent Halloween food drive, which is another great way of contributing to the organization.

While the manager of Samaritan House’s safe and warm shelter, Heather Bolech, told the Sun they haven’t seen an increase in the number of people who come for shelter in the last couple of years, they have seen an increase in the number of people who come for an evening meal.

“We’ll offer soup or stew, chili — something warm like that,” Bolech said. “We work with the culinary arts program at Crocus Plains as well as (Assiniboine College’s) culinary arts program. The food comes from the food bank here, and it’s prepared by (those programs).”

According to Bolech, the shelter is always looking for donations of warm socks and mitts for their clients.

Donations of bigger food items, like a large ham or can of beans, will often be directed toward meals made for the shelter, McNish said.

Though demand is increasing, McNish said she’s not worried they’ll become unable to serve enough people.

“I really believe that God always supplies our need,” she said, bringing up the story of Jesus feeding thousands with only five loaves of bread and two fish.

“We might have to decrease the number of items, but we will always have something for people. It concerns me that there’s a staggering number of people that need to use the food bank. I think the biggest (need) is affordable housing.”

At Helping Hands Soup Kitchen, co-ordinator Angela Braun told the Sun Tuesday that their facility has likewise seen an increase in people seeking meals.

Last October, she said the kitchen served 3,667 meals. This October, they’re likely to serve more than 4,000.

Braun said the soup kitchen’s clients have said that grocery prices, housing prices and general inflation are factors in the difficulties they’re facing.

The soup kitchen doesn’t get provincial or federal funding and relies on local organizations to donate the food they serve to clients.

“Some local places aren’t donating as much as they were before, but they’re also in the midst of this high inflation and everything as well,” Braun said. “It’s made it a hard time for everybody all around.”

Those interested in assisting Helping Hands can donate their time, money or goods.

Money donations can be made by clicking on the donate link on helpinghandsbrandon.ca or by bringing a cash or cheque to the kitchen at 111 Seventh St.

Prospective volunteers can either call the kitchen at 204-727-4635 or drop by in person to fill out an application form.

The kitchen also accepts food, clothing and small household item donations. Frequently, Helping Hands will post a wish list of needed items to its Facebook page.

“If we can’t use them or we don’t need them in the centre, we pass them along to our patrons that come in for lunch,” Braun said.

» cslark@brandonsun.com

» X: @ColinSlark