THUNDER BAY — Food and financial donations are down this year, according to the Regional Food Distribution Association.
Executive director Volker Kromm told Newswatch that an increase in donations ovet the giving season usually allows the RFDA to carry over stock into the new year.
But this year, the donations the RFDA received won't allow the food organization to stockpile for the coming months.
Individual financial donations are down nearly 30 per cent per cent, while corporate financial donations are down 60 per cent per cent, according the the RFDA's 2024 year-end report.
Moreover, local food donations are down 27 per cent and food donated by local businesses is down 31 per cent.
“That is really frightening because that tells me that our donor base either can't afford it or they're giving in other ways, which is alright, but the problem is that we have to find ways of remediating the shortfall coming in 2025 and make up new strategies for how do we replace the funds that we're short,” Kromm said.
Without the financial donations, the RFDA will need to transition to a different model of outsourcing bulk food from outside of Northwestern Ontario.
“Where we can't get food donations locally, we'll have to go across Canada and find the bulk. We've invested in freezers and processing facilities here. We brought in 8,000 kilograms of fish, whole fish, so that's a major shift in our ability to be able to distribute healthy food,” Kromm said.
“But also we're looking for sourcing more vegetables and other foods that may exist in various places of Canada so that we can bring it in and we can distribute it to offset the local shortfall."
Kromm pointed out that the RFDA has seen a 30 per cent increase over the last two years of people accessing food banks and meal programs.
“That's problematic. People just can't afford to buy the food at the prices,” Kromm said.
To help with this shortfall, the RFDA is asking donors to take advantage of the charitable tax deduction ahead of the tax season.
The federal government has extended the charitable tax deduction deadline to Feb. 28.
“Normally I sit here on New Year's Eve waiting for people to donate, and that didn't happen this year. So, with the extension to Feb. 28, it gives donors an opportunity to give and still take advantage of the 2024 tax season,” Kromm said.
He also noted the RFDA might have to look for creative ways to lure donors to donate once again. He said they might even look at doing a 50/50 draw as a way to prevent scaling back their food programs.
At the end of the RFDA's year-end report, a line reads, “we exist to feed thousands of people monthly, not to make a few people wealthy.”
Kromm said this line is a little bit of a “cheap shot” at the Thunder Bay Regional Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 draw.
“In fact, we are actually also looking at ways of raising new ways of marketing and raising funds with this whole 50/50 concept that the hospital has done – which is great because I'll probably end up being a patient there – but it is really, it's creating millionaires in Thunder Bay, but it's also taking a lot of money away from other charities. So, are we seeing the ripple effect of that?" said Kromm.
Currently, the hospital foundation’s 50/50 draw for December sits at a record-breaking $6 million.
“We just hope that the public realizes that we're serving as a hub for the entire region, and if we can bring the food together and make sure that all of our members, not only locally but regionally, get fed, we accomplish our goals for 2025,” Kromm said.
