It’s not unusual for food banks to put out calls for donations, but now the Calgary Food Bank is seeking out a product that’s become more common recently – gluten-free food.
Heather Anderson needs to eat gluten-free food because she has celiac disease. Her condition means if she consumes gluten – a protein found in grains like wheat and barley – her body won’t be able to absorb carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.
“I hadn’t been well and we were living on one income and I had to come to the food bank and my husband, who’s pretty proud, he’s the one who came to pick up the hamper, came home and I went through it and realized there was really nothing I could eat,” she told Global News.
Heather brought the issue to the Calgary Food Bank’s attention, and as a result, the organization unofficially launched one of Canada’s first celiac hamper programs about two years ago. In that time, it has been educating donors and volunteers on the need for gluten-free options. But the demand for these products have risen, and now it wants people to be aware of the need for donations.
Communications and marketing coordinator Kathryn Sim says, “When we first started, (we were) kind of under the radar because we were worried about being inundated with requests we couldn’t meet. We were handing out maybe 10 (hampers) a month. Last year, some months, we were handing out 20 celiac hampers, so it has just skyrocketed.”
Kathy Collier of the Celiac Association explains that people with the condition don’t have to take medication, but finding the right food can be expensive. “It costs a lot more to buy a regular bag of flour as opposed to rice flour or cookies or crackers.”
“The only way to treat celiac disease is by eating a gluten-free diet.”
With more people turning to food banks every year, the need for dietary flexibility grows as well. Sim explains that people with celiac disease who are consuming gluten – are just making themselves sick.
“If you can get someone on the proper diet, they become more employable… They’re able to get out of bed in the morning. They’ve got more energy, they’ve got more ability to focus. That’s what we’re trying to help people do – to give people the tools they need to get back into the workforce and become independent,” Sim says.
It worked for Heather. She’s no longer a client, but now volunteers at the food bank. “I think anybody who has celiac disease, if they opened up one of the hampers here, they’d be pretty pleased because it’s really helped them out. It’s made a difference for them. I know it.”
According to Health Canada, celiac disease affects almost one per cent of the population. The condition is diagnosed through blood tests, a small-bowel biopsy, and monitoring someone’s health during a gluten-free diet. Symptoms – such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence and anemia – vary from person to person.
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