‘Never seen anything like this’: Greater Vancouver Food Bank demand skyrockets

So many people need help from the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, the organization said it has never seen so much foot traffic or registered so many new clients.

Calling the situation “unprecedented,” the GVFB is taking-on about 1,000 new people in need a month, more than twice as many as the 400 at this time last year.

“Honestly, we’ve never seen anything like this,” said Cynthia Boulter, chief operating officer, a, adding that while they can still meet the growing demand, they are having some difficult conversations about the future.

“We’ve never had conversations at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank around ‘What’s our ceiling?’ But we are starting to have those conversations."

Climbing interest rates, and the rising cost of food have been driving-up demand as more people struggle to afford the basics.

The organization is also helping refugees from Ukraine, and international students who are finding the money they saved for their education in Canada is now not enough.

Then there are concerns about staffing during the labour crunch; the more people that need help, the more employees the GVFB needs to meet the demand.

“Our goal is to be able to continue to say, 'yes,' and support everyone in need,” assured Boulter. “But there is certainly nothing that we see in the immediate future that says this is going to abate at all.”

The GVFB now hopes that corporate and public generosity will continue.