Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 12/00) - Wondering what to do with that Y2K food stockpile? How about dropping it off at the Yellowknife Food Bank?

Times are especially tough of late for those who come to the food bank for help, says the organization's co-ordinator, Marlo Bullock.

A Canadian disgrace When it comes to poverty on a national level, food bank volunteer Pat Martin spoke of Mel Hurtig's latest book, Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids The Tragedy and Disgrace of Poverty in Canada. In his book, Hurtig, publisher and one of the founders of the Council of Canadians, a citizens' watchdog organization, says all food bank volunteers deserve the Order of Canada. He adds it's a disgrace that Canada even has food banks. The number of food banks -- the first of which was started in Edmonton -- has grown from 75 in 1984 to 625 in 1998. Hurtig adds Canada does not have an "official" poverty line but does have Statistics Canada's low income cut-off figures. People living below the low income cut-off are substantially worse off than the average. Hurtig, citing Statistics Canada figures, said that works out to 5.2 million Canadians. He suggests Canadians with difficulty accepting or defining just what poor is in this country should try and imagine living on what a fifth of Canadian families earned in 1995. Five years ago, the poorest fifth of Canadian families had average annual incomes of less than $13,000. In Yellowknife, where costs are high and so are incomes, that amount would just cover the rent.

Bullock said part of the reason for the current problem was a delay in issuing income support checks by social services in December.

People who use those cheques to buy food had to turn to the food bank for help, she said.

Lesley Allen, an assistant deputy minister with Education, Culture and Employment, confirmed Tuesday that some income support cheques were sent out late. Allen said the delay was because some data was corrupted during installation of a new computer system.

The food bank is located in the Calvary Baptist Church on Franklin Ave. and Matonabee St. and is open every second Saturday afternoon.

As well as Y2K stockpiles, Bullock said the food bank has been getting support from many individuals and businesses around town, including one corporation who brought in fish and muskox before Christmas.

Every two weeks, 75 to 80 people ask the food bank for help. Needy people receive about a bag and half of groceries.

The demand is growing

As one food bank volunteer puts it -- it's not about doing people's shopping for two weeks, "we're doing what we can to make sure we're here to give them a boost."

Food bank volunteer Pat Martin said about 300 people rely on the food bank every two weeks, once all the family members are considered. Demand, Martin adds, is rising.

Martin said when she started volunteering about 14 months ago, the organization was handing out about 45 bags of groceries every two weeks.

Now, more Yellowknifers are asking for help, Bullock said, adding, before Christmas, the food bank even had an ex-Giant miner utilize the service.

"December was horrible. We made several deliveries (on top of Saturday walk-ins)," she said.

Not to diminish the needs of the needy, but not surprisingly, running a food bank takes a toll on its volunteers.

"I'm beginning to dislike the holiday season," Bullock said.

"It's a lot of work. It's a drain emotionally," she said.

"One child, here with a parent, asked, are we going to get breakfast here? It was three in the afternoon. He had not eaten that day and (volunteer) Pat had been to the house recently. There was no food in the house."

That's just one of the many sad stories. Yk Food Bank volunteers tell of one mother who fed her kids pancake flour. Another mother just boiled water so the kids would think they were getting something to eat.

Bullock says it's sad that so many people need to use food banks, especially in a country the United Nations considers the best country in the world to live in.