Kamloops Food Bank braced for impact of rising food prices

KAMLOOPS — Whenever there’s a shift in the economy – such as recent inflation of some food prices – the Kamloops Food Bank notices the impact almost immediately.

Executive Director Bernadette Siracky says the food bank’s client flow tends to reflect what’s going on in the community.

“When people are living at or below the poverty line, whatever the reason is, any increase in cost whatsoever will often send them coming to us at a greater number of times per month, or sometimes for the first time ever,” Siracky says.

Latest estimates from Canada’s Food Price Report show overall food prices are expected to climb between five and seven per cent in 2022. Siracky notes that many of the food bank’s clients are on a fixed income, and increased costs outside of their control can knock a careful budget off the rails.

“When you really are working paycheque to paycheque. We are seeing people here that really do have jobs, that are working, that are bringing in enough income to cover their monthly costs, and then something like their food bill going up $50 a month, that truly affects them. We are here to support them.”

Rising prices on certain items in grocery stores eventually have an impact on the food bank’s buying power as well.

“We do have the capacity to get better deals than the average donor coming in our door, but we still are not getting this product for free,” Siracky explains. “When we go to the store to purchase it, we still have to meet their cost. So as their cost goes up, of course so does ours when it comes to purchasing product.”

A volunteer at the Kamloops Food Bank sorting items. (Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds)

Even before prices on store shelves rose, there have been increases in frequency of client usage and new clients coming in during the pandemic. To top it off, the Kamloops Food Bank has also been providing additional help storing and delivering product after Lytton burned and Merritt flooded.

“Food banks were deemed an essential service at the beginning of this pandemic when none of us knew how this was going to unfold. And indeed, we are an essential service. We offer a basic human need: food,” she says.

Food price changes represent yet another challenge to navigate, but Siracky says the increase in need for the Food Bank has so far been matched by supplier, and donor generosity.