Lower Mainland's biggest food bank preparing for summer of 'unprecedented demand'

Rising costs of food, gas and housing are forcing millions of Canadians to go hungry, according to Food Banks Canada.

New data collected by the organization found one in five Canadians—an estimated 7 million people – reported missing meals at least once between March 2020 and March 2022.

Twenty-three per cent reported that they are purposely eating less than they should because they don’t have enough money for food.

“Even we were shocked at these high numbers,” said Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley. “We knew in speaking with food banks that the need was high, but this speaks to a level of need across the country that we likely have never seen in our history.”

For the Lower Mainland's largest food bank, it means providing meals for thousands more people every week.

Cynthia Boulter, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, said about 400-500 people a day were coming to the bank’s Vancouver location last year, but now they’re seeing “close to 700 people a day, many days a week.”

And the demand keeps rising, with up to 900 new clients registering every month.

“I’m alarmed at the number of new client registrations that we are seeing right now,” Boulter said. “Last year we would have registered about 400 people a month.”

Boulter said some clients have “almost fainted” when arriving at a food bank because they haven’t eaten in days. And some of the newer clients include retired professionals who used to work as teachers or nurses in the region.

“The retirement income isn’t enough to survive and they come to the food bank,” Boulter said. “And you can tell this just isn’t something they pictured themselves having to do in retirement.”

According to Food Banks Canada, the summer months are typically quieter right across the country. But not this year.

“If the trend that we have seen in the last few months continues, it will be a summer of unprecedented demand,” Boulter said, adding the best way to support food banks is through cash donations.