Regina food bank experiences record-high demand due to COVID-19 - Regina

The Regina Meals Financial institution reached record-high demand final yr, making it one of many busiest meals banks within the province.

The group cracked 110,000 factors of service, in accordance with CEO John Bailey. That quantity contains each one-time customers and repeat clients.

In a typical yr, factors of service hover round 80,000, he stated.

“From what we’ve seen, this is the largest demand year we’ve ever had by quite a considerable margin,” Bailey stated.

He suggests the “dramatic jump” is as a result of financial fallout of COVID-19 together with the lockdown and layoffs related to the pandemic.

The report demand additionally got here with “significant challenges,” in accordance with Bailey.

Security was the primary precedence, which meant the meals financial institution shifted to front-door deliveries and drive-thru pick-ups to keep away from crowding contained in the constructing.

In addition they needed to discover new methods to inventory cabinets.

“We’ve purchased more food this year than we’ve ever purchased before,” stated Bailey, including that pattern will probably proceed as pandemic restrictions drag on.

“With no events and none of those big food-raising initiatives, we are limited in the amount of food we can get donated to us.”

By the tip of the fiscal yr, Bailey estimates the meals financial institution can have spent not less than $500,000 on meals alone, which is 5 to 6 instances greater than any given yr.

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‘We’re not on the end line’

If the 2008 recession is any indication, Bailey says excessive demand isn’t going away within the close to future. In truth, he warns we may see a sustained enhance transferring ahead.

“We’re thinking this year is going to be just as busy as last year and probably carrying through for another 12 to 24 months and then we’ll sort of see how things have settled,” he stated.

The meals financial institution is hoping for the very best, however getting ready for the worst with contingency plans in place for the months forward.

“We have contingency plans around things that we know about — like increased demand — so we’re buying food to make sure we’re never going to have to turn folks away,” stated Bailey, including there are already plans to handle any potential COVID-19 outbreaks within the constructing.

“No food bank wants to be bigger, but every food bank across the province and across the country is preparing to make sure they can get bigger so they can meet the needs.”

Even with COVID-19 vaccines rolling out, the meals financial institution says that gained’t change meals demand for the foreseeable future.

“We’re not at the finish line,” Bailey stated.

“We won’t be at the finish line for quite some time in terms of the need in our community for those facing food insecurity.”

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