SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The number of people using the Salvation Army Food Bank has risen since the YK Food Bank moved to the Kam Lake area, said one representative.

A receptionist at the Salvation Army Resource Centre holds one of the food hampers full of non-perishable food which are distributed to meet the needs of around 150 people in the downtown area. The Salvation Army has seen a bump in the number of people using their services since the Yellowknife Food Bank moved to the Kam Lake area. Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo -

Sarah Kelly, a community services caseworker for the Salvation Army, said food bank users have told her they aren't able to make the trip to the warehouse full of charitable goods on Coronation Drive and so they have begun to visit the Salvation Army location.

"They're coming here more frequently," she said. "Our numbers have gone up."

Katee Seaboyer, a community services worker and supervisor of the Salvation Army shelter, said the group served 156 adults last month, and served 125 adults in April of last year.

She said they distributed around the same number of hampers last month as were handed out in April 2014, but that the hampers are being shared by more people.

"We are distributing them every day," she said, adding that each family receives one hamper per month but that families with more than six people receive two.

"They're getting canned goods, vegetables, canned fruit, soup, peanut butter, crackers ... and frozen meat, if we have it," she said.

Brad Carlson, president of the YK Food Bank, has been saying the food bank is looking for a downtown location since late last year.

This month marks one year since it switched locations. On Wednesday, Carlson said the deal still hasn't been finalized.

"We've been told that people would prefer to have it downtown," he said.

"There's logistics involved. We still have to get it there. We don't own a vehicle, so I think we're going to manage to borrow one to do that ... It's simple enough to say we've got a place downtown but we've got to get the food there.

And that takes more volunteers and more time, so it's not just simple little things."

Carlson said he didn't have up-to-date statistics on how many people the YK Food Bank is serving, but said the numbers are similar to those reported by the Salvation Army Food Bank.

In February, the Yellowknife Food Bank's vice-president, Joanne Teed, said the group used to give away around 150 baskets of food per month, which are valued around $30 each. She said the move dropped that number to around 100 baskets.

Seaboyer said people need to prove they are residents in order to qualify for a basket valued at around $25.

The hampers are distributed from the Salvation Army Church on Franklin Avenue, she said.

"All we require is proof of residency," she said.

"Something with an address on it and an ID."

She said they accept donations of non-perishable items that aren't expired and haven't been opened.

"We like it if people bring reusable bags," she said. "We have a shortage of those."

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