Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Food Bank needs more funding to meet a dramatic increase in the number of people it is serving. They had 5 clients at the end of October 2022. This October there were 70. Food Bank Treasurer Filipe Figueira said the need for food banks has been increaseing throughout Canada. He estimates the Cortes Island Food Bank will need $25,000 to meet the need.
“One of my worries is that we're publicizing that we're serving so many clients and some clients are actually very reluctant to use the food bank.
It's taken a while to convince people that we have enough food. The common comment I get, particularly from some seniors, ‘is I don't want to be taking this food from other people, and I'm not literally starving.’ We always say that you don't have to be literally starving. From our perspective, nobody should be going hungry for one or two days,” he explained.
“I want to reassure all those people out there that we really do have the resources to help that many people.”
According to Food Banks Canada, “In March 2023, there were over 1.9 million visits to food banks in Canada, far surpassing last year’s usage, which set a record at the time.” There was a 32% increase in one year.
Filipe Figuera: “it's actually nearly an 80% increase since March 2019. This is across the country. When you get to Cortes, you can multiply all those economic stressors by three or four because we have clients who have been suffering for years with precarious employment, precarious housing, and higher food costs than mainland food costs.”
He said the Food Bank used to serve about 5 clients a month.
“When we started really promoting the food bank in August, it jumped up to 12. In September, it jumped up to 39 and then in October, it jumped up to 70. Part of that huge jump for the 70 was that we're working with Better at Home. We have a really good alliance with them. They're helping and introducing the food back to some of those seniors, which has been fantastic. We hope to do more projects with them in the future.”
Cortes Currents: So you've gone from 5 to 70?
Filipe Figuera: ‘Yes, it's remarkable, but I'm not super surprised by it. We always knew that if we started scratching the surface, we'd get an idea of the real need on the island. I think the need that we've typically been serving over the last few years is an undercount.”
“When we compare it to Quadra Island, I think they're serving 30 to 40 a month and they've got a very established food bank with better resources than us and have had for a few years.”
“Now that we're actually up and running as a more effective food bank, I think those are the numbers we're going to be hitting - 30 to 40. It's seasonal because in the winter months, people are suffering more. They have energy bills. They don't have employment, but it's not as though we're unusual. We're just reflecting what's happening in the rest of the country.”
The Cortes Food Bank used to offer food pick-up once a month. Now it is every week, alternating between Mansons and Gorge Halls.
Filipe Figuera: “We’re doing a fundraiser right now, which is going very, very well. People can donate to that by going to our website, which is cortesfoodbank.ca.There's a link there to a portal run by Foodbanks BC. People can donate and then they'll get a tax receipt immediately.”
“We appreciate any donation. Actually, I feel bad that we're asking the community to support this because we understand that the vast majority of the community is also feeling the pinch financially. So their generosity, even if it's $20, is super welcome.”
