As a national survey is showing Alberta's usage of food banks is now one of the highest in Canada, the jump in Innisfail hunger has skyrocketed this year by almost 50 per cent.
As a national survey is showing Alberta's usage of food banks is now one of the highest in Canada, the jump in Innisfail hunger has skyrocketed this year by almost 50 per cent.
Carole Sim, coordinator of the Innisfail and District Food Bank, said her latest statistics show a 49.22 per cent increase for her agency's hamper service from July 1 of this year to Oct. 31, when compared to the same time period in 2015.
"Last year we did 258 hampers, while this year we did 385 hampers," said Sim.
Her startling figures are comparable to those from 2009, when the town struggled with the rest of the country from the previous recession.
Sim said there was a 55.5 per cent increase for the first four months of 2009 when compared to the same time period the year before. She said the fiscal year of July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010 showed a 37.38 per cent increase over the same time period for the previous year.
"There are a lot of communities worse off than us. I just know we are doing hamper numbers very close to what we did in 2009; not quite but we are close," said Sim.
Last month Food Banks Canada, a national charitable organization that assists more than 850,000 Canadians who turn to food banks each month, released its annual HungerCount report for 2016.
The report's survey, which does not measure food bank usage for individual communities, showed eight out of 10 provinces experienced hikes, with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia reporting drastic surges of more than 17 per cent. The report also stated that 80 per cent of Alberta food banks saw an increase in use this year, as well as a 60 per cent jump since 2014.
"It just showed that food bank increase all over Alberta was up, which is not too surprising with the economic climate we've got," said Sim.
In the meantime, she said needy Innisfailians, who can access food bank assistance once every five weeks, are increasingly arriving at the agency's doors due to their employment insurance running out, promised government infrastructure work not yet starting, and the lack of opportunities this year for seasonal employment.
"They (clients) don't really talk about it too much," said Sim. "It is pretty difficult to come to a food bank for a lot of people, but they are telling me they are out of unemployment. They are looking for work but there isn't any."
In the meantime, Sim said her agency is "holding its own" with donations, which she expects should pick up now that December has arrived.
"Overall, we are holding our own. We don't do anything specific and special for Christmas because the Christmas Bureau steps in and does that," said Sim. "They look after the Christmas dinner and so on. We just give them their regular hampers, so that we are assured they have a food supply when the Christmas (supply) is all gone. I think that is just as important as anything."
Despite the apparent gloom, Sim and the community will get a boost this week with the Dec. 9 arrival of the CP Holiday Train, a fundraiser for the local food bank, which is rolling into town for the third consecutive year. The train will arrive at 1:15 p.m. at the Fas Gas crossing at the intersection of 52nd Avenue and 50th Street. Following entertainment from Dallas Smith and Odds, it will depart at 1:55 p.m. to head to Olds and then Didsbury.
Last year CP donated $2,500 to the Innisfail food bank during the holiday train's stop in Innisfail.
Carole Sim, coordinator of the Innisfail and District Food Bank
"It is pretty difficult to come to a food bank for a lot of people but they are telling me they are out of unemployment. They are looking for work but there isn't any."
