Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre said the pressure isn’t easing on them as grocery prices continue to soar from inflation.
“With repeat visitors we are up to about 24,000 people a month and of the people who rely on the emergency food basket program, about 41 per cent are kids,” said Deborah Hamp with the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre.
Statistics Canada said Tuesday that the annual inflation rate for May cooled by a full percentage point to 3.4 per cent, but grocery prices remained elevated.
In March, the Food Bank and Learning Centre broke visitor number records.
“This is a really significant increase,” Hamp said. “This is the highest numbers we have ever seen in the history of the Food Bank and Learning Centre.”
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Food inflation has risen 9.0 per cent year-over-year, a figure that was nearly unchanged from April.
Prices of edible fats and oils saw a 20.3 per cent jump, while costs were up 15 per cent for bakery products and 13.6 per cent higher for cereals, according to the agency.
Restaurant prices also jumped in May.
“When people are looking at a high cost of rent which is increasing, the high cost of fuel, we look at a significant impact in people’s lives and so we are definitely seeing an increase in our programs and it is just really hard for folks to get by right now,” Hamp said.
Hamp said an aware community is an engaged community.
“We are asking folks to take a minute to think about how inflation and the cost of food is impacting people in Saskatoon. It’s impacting everyone.”
Saskatchewan has 36 food banks and Hamp said the increased demand is a provincial issue.
“Saskatchewan has the lowest minimum wage in Canada,” Hamp said. “It’s not providing living wage for people.”
The Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre is looking for donations and volunteers.
— with files from Global News’ Craig Lord
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