The London Food Bank’s annual spring food drive couldn’t have come at a more vital time.
The number of families relying on the non-profit organization to put food on the table has gone up 28 per cent over the past year. In fact, last month was the food bank’s second busiest ever with 3,771 families (10,275 individuals) asking for assistance.
“We are past pre-pandemic levels,” said Jane Roy, co-executive director of the London Food Bank. “It is really tough for families. Inflation, food prices, and rent are all up and you can really see how it is hitting a lot of Londoners.”
The number of people going to the food bank once a month for food increased from around 2 per cent to 6 per cent in 2021, Roy added. Thirty-eight per cent of users were 18 or younger, 6 per cent were over the age of 60 and 76 per cent are renters.
Roy shared the troublesome figures on Friday as the food bank launched its 35th annual spring food drive.
While the past two years saw virtual food drives, this one will be more traditional with focus shifting back to grocery store donations.
“The theme of this food drive is ‘coming back together’. We’re not back to normal, but we consider this a hybrid food drive where we are wanting to get back into the grocery stores, we’re wanting people to donate but we’re also making it available for anyone who would like to make a financial donation online,” said Roy. “That’s something we learned over the past couple of years, some people prefer online.”
Monetary donations can be made through the food bank’s website www.londonfoodbank.ca.
Non-perishable food item including peanut butter, rice, baby food and formula, soup, vegetables, tinned meat and fish, pasta and pasta sauce and non-food items such as diapers, toothpaste, toilet paper, detergent can be dropped off at any major grocery store in the city until April 18. Due to the pandemic, fire stations are not accepting donations.
At least 60 per cent of all food donated to the spring drive will be divided up among 25 other social agencies and programs in the city, with only the remaining 40 per cent going to stock food bank shelves. With the ongoing crisis in Ukraine that has forced millions to flee the country, the food bank will be setting aside food and financial donations for refugees that will be settling in London. The distribution will be handled by the London Ukrainian Centre and the Humanitarian Coalition. There is an option for people to specify they would like their donation to go to the Ukraine effort, Roy said.
Last year’s spring food drive brought in the equivalent of 63,450 lbs. of food.
“We talk about numbers and we talk about thousands of families coming to the food bank, but it is really important for us to remember that these are individuals, they are people who are really struggling, so whatever the public can give will definitely be helpful,” said Roy.
