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Food banks officials hearing across Canada that demand is increasing
Mac Olsen
South Peace News
Members of approximately 20 food banks representing the Alberta Food Bank Network Association met in High Prairie May 28-29 for their annual general meeting.
Kim Dumont, the manager of the High Prairie and District Food Bank, had to apply to host the event. More below.
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Kim Dumont, the manager of the High Prairie and District Food Bank, receives a certificate of appreciation from Richard Le Sueur, resource development coordinator for the Alberta Food Bank Network Association. Dumont was pleased to host the AFNBA’s annual general meeting May 28-29.
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“I was really excited to host the AGM here and to have all the different food banks from across the province come to High Prairie,” says Dumont.
Holding the meeting in High Prairie was an opportunity to show other food banks how High Prairie conducts its operations, Dumont adds. She provided a tour in the afternoon of the second day.
Former vice-chair Tamisan Bencz-Knight, also volunteers for the AFBNA in Edmonton. She says the AFBNA tries to hold the AGM in all regions of the province and was pleased when High Prairie applied to host it in 2009.
“They came forward and it’s been wonderful,” says Bencz-Knight, adding she encourages everyone to contribute to their local food banks.
Marzena Gersho, who works for Food Banks Canada in Toronto and was the keynote speaker, says food banks are currently feeling the strain because of the economic situation. More Below
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Keynote speaker Marzena Gersho, who works for Food Banks Canada in Toronto, says food banks are really feeling the strain right now because of the economic situation.
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“Some are seeing significant increases in their clients looking for food support,” Gersho says.
She provided statistics about the plight of what she calls household food insecurity, as 2.7 million Canadians experience it at some point in the year. Moreover, food banks assist more than 700,000 Canadians every month, 37.1 per cent of clients are children and 50 per cent of households accessing them have at least one child.
Since the first food bank opened in Canada in 1981, there has been a proliferation of programs and agencies working to assist people in need. What should have been a short-term solution has become an institutional social service.
“The need to alleviate hunger in communities has not diminished,” Gersho adds.
She also explained the role of Food Banks Canada, which includes acquiring and sharing food nationally, seeking money to support defined programs and providing a consistent voice for advocacy.
She also says, as governments cut back on publicly-funded social programs, they are looking increasingly to the voluntary sector to pick up the slack.
“While the voluntary sector can’t replace a strong public sector, partnerships can help complement public policy with an on the ground approach that seeks local and immediate solutions to economic and social problems,” says Gersho.
However, food banks are also resourceful. One of the topics discussed during the meeting was the Leduc food bank’s partnership with the Edmonton airport to obtain confiscated consumer items like shampoos and providing them to the needy.
“What’s amazing about the meeting is hearing the creativity and the passion that everyone has to help those in need in their community,” says Gersho.
Gersho will discuss what she learned at the AGM with Food Banks Canada and make it part of their strategies to help food banks across the country.
Other issues discussed at the meeting included determining geographical borders of service, how to track and monitor clients, fundraising, food raising, ethical guidelines and how to use new online media like Twitter as part of advocacy work.
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