聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 In schools students learn about needs and wants, needs being something you can鈥檛 live without and a want being something you鈥檇 like to have. Food is something everyone needs to survive and the Food Banks Canada attempts to help people fulfill this need.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reported by Food Banks Canada in March 2015, 852,137 people used the food bank across the country. Use in March was 1.3 percent higher than 2014 and a total of 26 percent higher than 2008.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Food Banks Canada see over 850,000 people each month and of this number one-third of those being helped by Food Banks Canada are children.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In March of 2015 Saskatchewan saw 26,727 people offered a hand up, of this 45 percent were children. Although the number of people using food banks compared from March 2014 to March 2015 in Saskatchewan barely changed, Saskatchewan has gone up in food bank usage of 50.6 percent since the Global Financial Crisis in September of 2008.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 An increased need across Canada and it has increased specifically amongst communities that were heavily reliant on the oilfield.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Carlyle and District Food Bank was first welcomed to the area in 1989 when the ministry saw a need in southeastern Saskatchewan and has been helping people in need for the past 26 years. It was turned over to the public later and has endured as a Registered Non-Profit Organization under Food Banks Canada.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Although based in Carlyle, the food bank services communities from Stoughton to Lampman, down to Carievale, over to Redvers, and as far north as Kipling, Kennedy, and Wawota. It covers a very large area, but is determined to help people struggling with economic burdens throughout the year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Carlyle was chosen as a central location for the area being served because the Carlyle United Church allows them a space free of rent to work within.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪adly we鈥檝e seen an increase we made 63 hampers this past month and that鈥檚 up from about 25 in June,鈥� Mavis James, the Arcola, Kisbey, and Stoughton contact explained. 鈥淲e are also down in donations, we鈥檙e at about half of our cash donations, and a lot of those came from oil companies, so we understand that they鈥檙e not able to give this year.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 happened before; over the years we鈥檝e gone up and down in both donations and hampers needed, but we鈥檝e always managed to get by with support from the community. We鈥檇 like to thank everyone for their donations in the past and for everyone鈥檚 continued generosity, we appreciate everything.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 With cash donations, James explains, the food bank purchases fresh milk, potatoes, carrots, apples, bread, margarine, eggs, and meat each month.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚f anyone has extra beef or meat to donate it would also be greatly appreciated,鈥� James said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Items that the food bank is always in need of includes Kraft Dinner, brown beans, canned tins of meat, peanut butter, canned tomato soup, pastas including ichiban noodles and sidekicks, canned fruit and vegetables, and cereals.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 To drop off non-perishable donations James says that the bin located after the Co-op checkout in Carlyle is a good place to leave items or people can directly contact James or Arrol Young for contributions from Arcola, Kisbey, and Stoughton, in Manor call Jaime Brimner, the contact in Redvers is Annette LeNouail, Darlene Burnett can be called in Carlyle, and Deb Phillips is in the Wawota area.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 If wanting to volunteer, contact one of the aforementioned contacts to see when you may be needed.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎nyone out there looking to help, the Monday and Tuesday before our Christmas hampers go out are always very busy setting up,鈥� James said. 鈥淚鈥檓 thinking we鈥檒l have quite a few Christmas hampers to fill this year.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Requests for Christmas hampers must be into the contacts of the food bank by Friday, Dec. 4, as they will be picked up on Wednesday, Dec. 16. Donations for Christmas hampers are asked to be in early as well for the volunteers will be purchasing items and packing hampers prior to Dec. 16.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 want to thank everybody for their generosity, the food bank appreciates everything,鈥� James said.
