Costs at the Lac La Ronge Food Bank have increased from $5,000 to $7,000 per month. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

food security

Hunger a growing issue in tri-communities

Nov 8, 2022 | 4:57 PM

The number of residents facing food security in the La Ronge area has increased in the last two years.

That’s according to Lac La Ronge Food Bank vice-president Warren Kelly, who explained if the non-profit had the logistics, volunteers would likely prepare up to 100 hampers every week.

Before COVID, the food bank put together between 60 or 70 hampers per week, but changes during the pandemic led to a reduced service of only 40. Kelly noted for years food bank clients arrived at the building to pick up their own hamper, but now all hampers are delivered to avoid creating a crowd.

“We used to give out hampers once every four weeks to the same person and now again, because of the demand and logistics and so on, it’s once every six weeks,” he added. “We set it at a maximum of 40 just because we don’t have resources to go beyond that. Like I said, I’m sure now with the price of food and so on it could be 80 or 100 requests if we did not have to cut it off.”

Although the food bank is assisting fewer residents than it did in the past, that hasn’t stopped monthly bills from rising. Costs per month used to be $5,000 per month, Kelly said, but they have since soared to $7,000 per month. The cost of purchasing meat, along with fresh fruit and vegetables, have seen the highest increase in price.

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In the last two years, the food bank was able to offset some of those costs by obtaining food security grants from the federal government, but that funding has since dried up. Kelly mentioned individual donations are also down as well considering groups like the La Ronge Elks Club stopped running food drives because of risks associated with COVID.

“I can certainly appreciate things,” he said. “My wife and I are senior residents and when we go to the grocery store, I am amazed at the bill for us. So, as a family of four, I just don’t know how they survive buying food nowadays.”

With the Christmas holidays approaching, however, the food bank typically sees a rise in donations. Nutrien always hosts a provincial food drive, which is a success, and residents themselves tend to think of food drives more during the holidays.

Those would like to make a donation to the Lac La Ronge Food Bank can do so by sending an e-transfer to laclarongefoodbank@gmail.com.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno