A price freeze on No Name items may offer some help to the Prince Albert Food Bank, but will it be enough? (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Food Bank Relief

Price freeze offers temporary relief for food bank amid rising grocery, gas costs

Oct 17, 2022 | 3:47 PM

The rising cost of food and fuel prices on the rise again mean busy times for the Prince Albert Food Bank. A little bit of good news from a major corporation today may help in some small measure.

Loblaw Companies LTD, who operate chains including Real Canadian Superstore, has said they will freeze the price of their No Name brand items until January. The move will temporarily make some purchases or donations easier for the food bank, as well as individual shoppers.

“I think it’s great that they did that,” Kim Scruby, executive director of the Prince Albert Food Bank, said. “From what I gather, some other grocers across the country are doing the same thing and that will definitely help.”

The help comes at an important time for the food bank, which just finished a food drive on October 1 and is still in the planning stages for others. The number of people the bank helps is steadily on the rise.

“It’s been getting progressively busier every month since the whole COVID (restriction) situation more or less ended,” Scruby said. “Compared to previous months to COVID, probably 10 to 15 per cent higher now.”

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In addition to the rising cost of food, the recent jump in gas prices has driven more people to seek the help of the food bank. It’s not the first time Scruby has seen a rise in demand come along with a rise in prices at the pump.

“When fuel prices spiked in June and July we saw a significant increase in working people coming in,” Scruby said. “It kind of tapered off a little bit when prices came back down, but now we’re back up to where we were.”

Anecdotally, Scruby said he’s seen his own grocery bill rise so he’s not surprised other people are finding the exact same thing when it comes time to go shopping.

“It’s been tough,” Scruby said. “I’ve heard the comment from many of the people coming in. A lot of the figures we’re hearing, they say about 10 per cent, but for a lot of items it seems like it’s significantly higher.”

Scruby added the bank is still in need of many of the same things they always are, with an emphasis on non-perishable food items. Pastas, soups, canned goods, baby food, and diapers are all items in need of frequent donation.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP

by Rob Mahon

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Price freeze offers temporary relief for food bank amid rising grocery, gas costs

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