Rising food prices and fixed incomes are driving more Prince George residents to local food services .
Officials with the St. Vincent de Paul Society say their Second Avenue drop-in center has experienced a ten to fifteen percent increase in foot traffic.
Representative Bernie Gould told MyPGNow.com many individuals are feeling the crunch of the high cost of groceries.
“We are actually doing 225 to 240 hampers per month, and about 70 of them go out to seniors. We’re blessed to be able to do that for seniors because we don’t want them to be hungry.”
Bringing Back the Sparkle for Christmas
With the holidays approaching, the initiative is shifting into high gear to bring a sense of comfort and dignity to families during a stressful season.
Organizers are working hard to secure additional holiday donations to ensure every hamper contains something special.
“It just brings a little bit of extra for people to have at Christmas,” Goold explained. “We all like to have something extra, as we know the price of food has just got astronomical.”
In response to the growing need, community groups are stepping up collection efforts.
Organizers at the annual Studio Fair at CN Centre will be collecting non-perishable food items at the door this weekend specifically to support the St. Vincent’s food bank.
Earlier this month, Food Banks Canada called for economic security reforms after monthly visits to food banks across the country rose to 2.35 million this year.
Their annual HungerCount study, involving more than 5,500 food banks and community organizations, shows visits in March were up 9% from the previous record set last year — and have more than doubled (117%) since 2019.
Food Banks Canada warns millions of people are now facing impossible trade-offs as they struggle to afford basic needs.
Recommendations include modernizing Employment Insurance, doubling the Canada Workers Benefit, conducting a Parliamentary review on the adequacy of social assistance, and more.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
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