Food bank demand surges amid rising cost of living
The pandemic and the rise in inflation have made it difficult for many to afford the cost of living, creating a dramatic demand on food banks.
Typically, May is the time of year when food banks start to see a decrease in clientele, but this year is different.
"People that we would normally see coming off the food program are staying on, and new ones are being added," says Gravenhurst Against Poverty Food coordinator Linda Harrison.
The high cost of food, gas and housing has put people in more dire situations.
Gravenhurst resident Denise Morris is one of the 550 people to receive food from Gravenhurst Against Poverty weekly.
"There's been times I've gone to get dinner and walked out of the store with nothing. Because it's just too, too expensive to do," he says.
It's clear the effects of the pandemic are lingering.
"Before COVID started, we were only 50 to 100 people tops in a week," says Harrison.
It's a similar situation at Manna Food Bank in Bracebridge.
Staff say the biggest difference is the rise in new client numbers.
"Last month, there were 21 new clients that signed up with us. That's high for this time of year," says president Sam Robinson.
Robinson says she believes employment opportunities are playing a factor.
"People are wanting to hire. You can see the signs everywhere, but I'm not sure our client base has the skills perhaps for some of those jobs."
"What we're finding is that employers are looking for someone that's eager and willing to learn, skills can be trained," says YMCA Simcoe/Muskoka employment specialist Saleem Hall.
He says there is an opportunity for people who may not have much experience to make higher wages.
"A lot of these entry-level positions, whether it's back of the house in kitchens or doing some general labour work on contracting sites, those positions and those wages can garnish more than your traditional minimum wage salary," adds Hall.
Both food banks have been receiving a lot of support from the community and are grateful for any donations.
Manna says they are short on volunteers and urge anyone interested to contact them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What's a Barnacle? It's yellow, sticks and screams if you try to pry it off your car
Barnacles, bright yellow devices used to make sure parking scofflaws pay their tickets, could soon be making their way to cities across Canada.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.