Inflation effects at the Whitecourt Food Bank

Inflation affects everyone, whether purchasing food at the grocery store or filling up your tank. Gasoline prices alone are up over eleven percent, as revealed by StatsCan and food prices are up nearly nine percent this year. Canada’s annual inflation rate grew to almost seven percent (6.7 percent) and is the highest rate since January 1991, when it rose to 6.9 percent. This could mean well over $900 extra in groceries this year for a family of four.

“I don’t know how people make it. I don’t have lots of money, but I can make it. I see my clients, and they are already stressed out and already poor, and now you’re going to pile on this increase in food. How do you work with that when you have a budget? It’s nuts,” commented Lori Coffey, Food Bank Director.

As someone who orders food to stock her shelves, Coffey is seeing the inflation and the ripple effect it is having on consumers’ buying habits. “I’m having a hard time with canned vegetables and canned fruit. I usually buy small cans instead of big cans because they are less expensive, and I try to get pallets of them. But now only the big cans are available, so everybody is buying the small ones because they can’t afford the big ones. Little things like that are a big deal. The big cans were always gone before, and now that’s all there is. So, everyone is downsizing, and it’s affecting me.”

Coffey said another problem she is facing these days is fewer no-name versions of brand-name items. “I always purchased the cheaper, no-name stuff. I always had access to all that, and now everybody’s doing it. All the expensive, big-sized, name-brand stuff is sitting there because people can’t afford it, and the no-name versions are gone.”

One item that Coffey never buys is toiletries, but she said it’s one of the most important things she gives out. “I think they are so important, and I tell people that all the time, but people often don’t get it. If you’ve never had to use the food bank, you probably don’t understand what it’s like when your house runs out of everything. Not only do you have no food in the fridge, but you’re running out of toilet paper, your toothpaste ran out, and your toothbrush is old. These things all weigh on you mentally.”

Coffey said she realizes toiletries are more expensive, but it’s something she relies on donations to receive. With food prices rising, even if Coffey did buy toiletries, she would not be able to continue doing so. “If my budget was running low, and I was buying toiletries, then that would be the first thing to go. The only product I would buy if I had to would be soap. That’s the bare minimum.”

Coffey said that clients using the food bank keep mentioning the rising costs, and the stories are heartbreaking. “I’ve never heard so many people say they can’t even make it here because they have no gas in their vehicles because the prices are so high. Five dollars in gas isn’t what it used to be. I also have many people who come to me with their bills, like a power bill, that they can’t afford to pay. I always tell them, pay your power bill, and then come see me for food.”

For those who have never used the food bank before or aren’t comfortable going through the process to get a fill, which requires identification, the perishable boxes are a great option. “People live without food in their homes because they don’t want to ask for help. Please don’t do that,” said Coffey. She said that sometimes it can take a lot for someone to ask for help and that she often hears people say they are mad at themselves for needing support. “The food bank is for people who have issues in life, and everybody has some issue at some point.”

Perishable boxes are available during open hours Monday, Wednesday, and Friday starting immediately at noon, and they go fast. There is typically a line, but Coffey said that she gives preference to those who are new or who use it less frequently.

Coffey anticipates the need will go up accordingly as prices continue to increase, and things will get more challenging for those on a fixed or low income. But, she said that this inflation would hurt even more people from all walks of life. “So many people have found themselves in a position they didn’t foresee themselves being in, and that realization of needing help buying food can be hard to accept. Even just asking for help can be hard. There is absolutely no shame in asking for help.”

Coffey puts through massive orders to keep the food bank stocked. Doing so helps her stretch each dollar even further, but rising costs are not helping. A new program starting up through Food Banks Canada would allow food banks to order together at the same time as a massive bulk order and let them share in the savings. Delivery would take longer, about a month and a half, but Coffey said the savings would be worth it. “I’ll be able to order my staples at a reduced cost.” She hopes to put in her first order soon. “I’m willing to wait the longer time if it saves me money and gets me more food.”

Coffey said that 75 percent of the people who access the food bank have jobs but can’t make it. In April of the last two years, Coffey has seen maybe a third of how many people she saw last month. “Our numbers don’t typically increase in April. We serviced 115 families, and we gave out 205 perishable boxes.” In April of 2020, they gave out 80 perishable boxes. In 2021, they gave out 100. “It’s more than double this year.”

She said that more people could find themselves in a bad position with inflation. “People shouldn’t be judged for needing help. It’s a karmic balance. We live in a community where we take care of each other. If you’re down for a bit, we’ve got you. We are a friendly bunch, and no one should feel shame about coming here.”