An anonymous donor is calling on the Saskatoon community to help fund a new home for the food bank.
The Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre received $50,000 from the donor, who called for the community to match that donation by the end of June.
“This matching donation is a remarkable opportunity. Every dollar raised will bring us closer to our goal and strengthen our ability to support those in our community who need it most,” said Laurie O’Connor, executive director for the food bank.
The organization said its current location at 202 Ave. C S. is straining under the weight of increased use and it’s faced logistical challenges from having to operate out of several locations.
The number of people accessing food banks in Saskatchewan has been increasing, with the Saskatoon Food Bank saying in its 2023 annual report that 41 per cent of people accessing its services in Saskatoon are children.
Food Bank Canada measures food insecurity in the country every March. The 2023 results showed 24.3 per cent more people accessing emergency food hampers in Saskatchewan.
O’Connor said the new location they are moving into will be farther west into the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood.
“Last month we broke a record here at the food bank and learning centre, and tipped the scales over 25,000 people served. That’s just way too many people needing to rely on the services at the food bank.”
She said this stems from the cost of living and that many people are currently struggling with increased costs.
“We want to be here to help folks.”
She said Saskatchewan also faces what she called a “stubborn problem with child poverty.”
“Food bank numbers have been very much the same for the percentage of kids using our services.”
O’Connor said families are struggling and coming up to the summer months they didn’t want to see people struggling with these increased costs.