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YK Food Bank coffers under stress
Demand increases while cash donations decreaseDaron Letts Northern News Services Published Friday, November 18, 2011
“Cash resources at this point in time are diminishing,” said food bank treasurer, Charles Jeffrey. “Cash donations have been nil since June. Not negligible: nil.” This is not a new trend. Organizers began noting a drop in food bank donations after 2008, which coincided with increased food bank use. In 2009 and 2010, the food bank gave out more than 130 bags during distribution day every other week on average. However, both years saw spikes in food bank use that reached as high as above 200 bags on a single day, causing organizers to limit the number of bags to a maximum of 150 bags every other week in 2011. “That's all we can handle over the course of two weeks,” said Karan Spoelder, board vice-president. “The need is greater than what we can serve.” Board president Grant Pryznk is now reaching out to the public and businesses to help meet the need for cash and a few specific non-perishable food items. “Our buying power is greater with cash donations because we can buy what we need for the bags we prepare,” Pryznk said. “We appreciate everyone's donations of food products, but we want to put an emphasis on the staple products we need to put in those bags. We're going to be coming out into the community to ask people to focus on these things.” Every other week volunteers prepare 150 grocery bags filled with staples such as canned soup, canned beans, canned fruit and vegetables, macaroni dinner, instant noodles, canned tuna or salmon, and pasta sauce. The food is enough to feed a family of four for almost two days. Clients usually pick up all the bags when the food bank opens every other Saturday in the basement of Overlander Sports. Households with up to four residents receive one bag and households with five or more residents receive two bags. The YK Food Bank began recording the number of times clients visited in the past fiscal year. Their survey revealed their clients made 2,431 visits to pick up 3,141 bags of groceries in that period. The estimated value of the groceries given out each month is about $9,000, not including some of the extra donated supplies often given out, such as flour, rolled oats, sugar, salt, margarine, lard, and baking powder. The food bank purchases about half the staple groceries it gives away each month and has spent about $17,000 on food since July. Earlier this year, the food bank operated with help from a few large donations, including $9,500 raised by Sir John Franklin High School students last spring, and $15,000 donated by BHP Billiton and its staff, among a few other substantial donations. The Salvation Army’s food bank, which gives away one bag of groceries to clients once per month, has also noted an increase in traffic. In 2009, clients picked up grocery bags about 800 times, while in 2010 staff documented more than 1,000 visits. “There is an increase in need in Yellowknife right now,” agreed Salvation Army caseworker Stacey Van Metre. Established in 1991, the YK Food Bank formerly operated as the Yellowknife Food Bank. The group changed its name in 2009 after it lost its charitable status in 2007 when volunteers neglected to file papers on time with Revenue Canada. Jeffrey is filing a new application for charitable status that is expected to be granted early in the new year. The group re-registered under the NWT Societies Act last spring. Charitable status will allow donors to receive tax deductions and will also permit the organization to appeal to large charitable organizations for funding. To make cash or food donations this month, contact the YK Food Bank.
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