New food bank opens to rising demand on Newfoundland's south coast

With the cost of food, heat and transportation all going up, a newly established food bank on Newfoundland's south coast is expecting to hit the ground running.

The Bay d'Espoir Community Food Bank opened its doors on Feb. 15. In theweeks since, the cost of gasoline has risen 15 per cent, the cost of furnace oil has increased22 per cent, and the cost of stove oil has spiked26 per cent.

It's hitting hard in the region, which is about a four-hour round tripfrom specialist services in Grand Falls-Windsor and where long commutes are a fact of life.

"That was one of the things that we discussed last night at our board meeting," said Connie Willcott, one of the group's organizers. "We're expectingto have an influx of clients come out of the increase in the gasoline prices.

"And just with inflation and everything else, you know, people are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet throughout the whole entire month."

The goal of the new food bank will be to help people stretch until they get their next paycheque.

It's based on a client-choice model, so residents will get some input into what they get from the service each month.Volunteers say they hope to provide a few ingredients that clients can combine with what they already have to make meals.

"We best suit their allergies, likes, dislikes and we try to fit their box with those items and try to teach them a little bit about nutrition as well," said Brenda Pelley Davis. "We have single moms out there with a number of children in the household, and we want to make sure that they get the proper nutrition as best as we can for them."

A year-round service

The group had been organizing Christmas hamper donations for several years but they've now moved into a permanent home in the St. Alban's community centre.

"We found our list each year grew and we thought, 'You know, if they're in need at Christmas time, well, of course they're in need all year-round,'" said Willcott. "Your circumstances don't change."

At around 1,200 people, St. Alban's is one of the smaller communities in the province with its own food bank. Volunteers here say the establishment has opened some eyes as to what kind of need exists in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

"Some stories are sadder, I will say than others," said Pelly Davis."Alot of that has to do with a reflection on the economy and the state that we're in right now with the increase in prices of everything, especially food, electricity.

"We have seniors that find it hard to pay their light bills. And so they need a little help with food."

The food bank will also help residents from neighbouring communities there are two other municipalities and a local service district in the Bay d'Espoir region and the mayor of Milltown-Head of Bay d'Espoir said she hopes an extension to the food bank can be established in her community, about 20 minutes away.

"I think more small communities should open up food banks because with the economy going the way it is, and bigger centres being further away, more and more people are going to be in need," said Cindy Benoit, another food bank volunteer.

The good news: thecommunity has bought in, in a big way. A local grocery store gave $5,000 to the group, and Grade 3 children at the local school started a class project to gather donations.

So far, the community contribution has kept up with demand. But if the cost of living keeps rising, the demand is expected to rise too.

"With access to a food bank, we're hoping that that will take away some of those pressures," said Willcott. "Even if it is, you know, I just need three or four more days to get by."

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