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Food drive goal is 12,000 pounds

Sunshine Coast Food Bank
food bank

It is getting tougher for vulnerable families on the Sunshine Coast to put food on the table, proven by the fact that the Sunshine Coast Food Bank has witnessed a 30 per cent increase in registered households since the end of 2018. According to Canada’s 2019 Food Price Report, this is very much the case across our country. The report predicts the average Canadian family of four will spend $411 more next year on grocery bills.

The generosity of community members enables the food bank to provide a diverse and nutritious selection of food items to supplement participants’ pantries. With over 900 registered households making up over 1,400 individuals, you might imagine the level of need to ensure the cupboards are full each week. Most households only attend when their situation becomes truly necessary to receive support from the food bank. An average week will bring about 140 households. While families are feeling the financial pinch of the cost of living, the food bank with its financial donations is also finding challenges to make those dollars stretch.

On Sept. 21 there will be the Annual Food Drive collection where volunteers will place bags on your front door.

There are two ways you can support this food drive. If you want to provide food items, place the same product in the bag no matter the number as this assists the volunteers in sorting the more than 12,000 pounds of food that the food bank hopes to add to its pantry.

The other option is to place a cheque in the bag for any amount you would like to contribute. Monetary donations allow the food bank to maximize its buying power, which means it can purchase four times the amount of food that an individual might pay at the grocery store.

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