Since taking over as Executive Director of the Huron County Food Bank in May, Chris Allan has witnessed a dramatic rise in demand for food assistance across the county. Allan said there has been an approximately 29 per cent increase in demand for food over the last year
"Even in the last few months, the numbers and the size of the orders are going up. So it's about a 29 per cent increase," he explained. "We just got some numbers from our food banks who reported to us just the other day. Actually, we had a meeting, and there are a couple out there that have reported over the last two months a 35 per cent increase in their demand for help."
Allan stressed that food insecurity affects a wide range of people in the community.
“We’ve got the elderly on fixed incomes, and young folks working minimum wage jobs who are trying to afford rent and bills. There’s never a good time where you don’t have to decide whether you can eat this month or pay a bill,” he said. In response to growing needs, the food bank has expanded its distribution capabilities by installing seven sections of pallet racking, allowing the centre to store 38 pallets on the wall and 42 more on the floor.
"Now, instead of, you know, getting, a few 100 pounds from a grocery store here and there, or a smaller agency that's able to help us out a little bit," he continued. "Now we're getting, once a week, twice, about 37,000 pounds of food that we're able to redistribute."
Over the last 14 weeks, the distribution centre has received 14 and a half truckloads and about 420,000 pounds of food. They've expanded their network to ensure that food reaches those who need it. Fresh, nutritious food has become a bigger part of the distribution, including locally donated produce and meats. Allan says they get things like mangoes, avocados, and ice cream that people wouldn’t normally be able to afford.
The Huron County Food Bank also operates mobile food banks, visiting six communities each month. Allan described the process:
"We have our volunteers pack bags. So they pack a frozen goods bag, which will have meat, such as pork and turkey, and whatever else we have. And then they will get bread," Allan continued. "They'll they will get pastries. And then they'll get a bag of produce, fresh produce and a bag of dry goods, and then they also get milk and eggs."
Despite these efforts, Allan emphasized the ongoing challenge of meeting the county’s needs.
“I wish that in a free country like Canada, we didn’t have to worry about feeding tens of thousands of people who don’t have access to food every day,” he added.
