The Central Okanagan Food Bank is busier than ever before.
“Our numbers keep going up because inflation is not going down,” said Trina Speiser, Central Okanagan Food Bank.
Demand for the Central Okanagan Food Bank has gone up 30 per cent over last year, serving more than 12,000 people each month.
“We haven’t noticed a decline at all, we don’t anticipate a decline, but because of the community support we’re hopeful that we can continue to meet the need,” said Speiser.
According to Canada’s 2024 Food Price Report, the average family of four is expected to spend more than $16,000 on food in 2024, a $700 increase from last year.
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“Food prices have not gone down food price inflation remains slightly higher than overall inflation,” said Ross Hickey, Associate Economics Professor.
According to Hickey, the problem might not necessarily be food inflation on its own.
“It’s an income problem more than it is a price problem. Everybody needs to buy food; the problem as I see it isn’t that the price of food is really high, it’s that the price of food went up faster than wages went up,” said Hickey.
With grocery prices out of reach for many, the Central Okanagan Food Bank is putting together hundreds of holiday hampers to distribute to families in need.
“They include special provisions like pancake mix and turkeys and cereals, so we’re really grateful for how the community has supported us and we keep being able to meet the need because of them,” said Speiser.
On top of the hampers the food bank is also holding a turkey drive, with a goal of collecting 500 turkeys.
“We have a turkey drive coming up on Nov. 30 we’re asking people to drop off a turkey or ham. It’s going to be happening right here in our Kelowna location from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.”
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