THUNDER BAY — The rising cost of food is affecting area food banks and services such as those provided at the Dew Drop Inn at St. Andrew's Church.
Staff at the soup kitchen on Red River Road are seeing an increase in clients in recent months,.
Executive director Michael Quibell says "We're getting busier...We're seeing a lot of new people. I think everyone is painfully aware that the dollar just doesn't stretch as far as it used to, and that's sending more people into our lineups."
In May and June, the Dew Drop Inn prepared over 11,000 meals, making them just shy of record-breaking months.
The trend has continued into July, with volunteers putting together about 400 meals a day, between bagged lunches and hot meals.
Quibell said clients are expressing how difficult it's getting to afford nutritious food.
"It's harder to make ends meet. It's harder to put food on the table every day. Everything is so expensive."
He added "I go to the grocery store and I'm in the express lineup. And it's $85. It's a reminder that life is expensive."
Expenses incurred by the Dew Drop Inn are also higher than anticipated.
Quibell said he's grateful for the ongoing support of community donors.
"We're doing OK right now but we definitely notice that it is considerably higher."
Preliminary data provided by the Northwestern Ontario Regional Food Distribution Association confirms there is growing demand at food banks as well.
The number of families supported by food banks supplied by the RFDA now stands at almost 2,100.
That's an increase of 16 per cent from last year at this time, and it could be even higher when additional data comes in.
An RFDA spokesperson said Monday that, to this point, the organization is managing the situation, but that could change.
Government financial support provided for the last two years due to the pandemic is coming to an end.
"We're going to feel the pinch" soon, the spokesperson told TBnewswatch.
