Edmonton’s Food Bank says it is currently serving the highest number of people in its 43-year history due to increased demand. According to the organization, requests for food hampers rose 42 per cent since 2022 with more than 47,000 people being served every month. • Download our app to get Edmonton alerts on your device Marjorie Bencz, the executive director for the food bank, told CTV News Edmonton some of the driving factors that resulted in the surge of demand. “We’re seeing more and more people coming to us because of the cost of living, including increased cost of housing, as well as more people coming to Alberta looking for jobs,” Bencz said on Sunday. Bencz said people using the program are having a difficult time stretching their budget to the end of the month. “Behind all these numbers are real people struggling each day and making critical decisions about whether they buy their child new running shoes or whether they put food on their tables,” Bencz said. Food programs at schools help relieve food bank pressures throughout the year. Extra efforts are made during the summer months, however, with Edmonton’s After the Bell food program. “(After the Bell) provides a package that a child can take home when they’re attending an organization like Boys and Girls clubs … (It’s) another way of us getting food into homes of low-income people,” Bencz said. Another important summer event is the Edmonton Heritage Festival over the August long weekend. This year, the food bank received nearly 28,000 kilograms of food donations, about 700 kilograms more than the previous year but down from 32,000 kilograms in 2023. E4C, a charity organization committed to helping hungry students in Edmonton, is also struggling to keep up with the increased demand. “We are Alberta’s largest school food program, and we serve about 6,400 students a day across our 41 locations,” said Grace Worobec, a school nutrition program coordinator for E4C. “Most people understand you’re trying to stretch your budget as far as you can. Having school food allows families to stretch a little further by having their students access a free meal in the morning,” Worobec added. Edmonton’s Food Bank says other agencies, including soup kitchens and shelters, continue to seek help through their program as living costs continue to rise. “Every point of contact for us is working at full capacity, and we keep trying to up that capacity because the numbers keep increasing for us,” Bencz said. To donate or for more information, visit Edmonton’s Food Bank’s website. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Marek Tkach
