One-in-five Albertans are facing food insecurity. One-in-five.
That means nearly 16,000 of our friends and neighbours in St. Albert are, at the very least, worried about running out of food because of the increased cost.
The staggering statistic might be difficult to believe, until you talk to Suzan Krecsy, the St. Albert Food Bank executive director. She says usage at the food bank is at its highest since opening in 1984.
“We are seeing Albertans who are employed who used to be donors at our food bank now becoming our clients,” Krecsy said during a press conference this week.
Food bank usage in St. Albert has increased by 43 per cent since the same time last year, Krecsy said, citing inflation as a big factor.
In the past year food prices grew at the fastest pace year-over-year since 1981, increasing by 11.4 per cent, according to the most recent consumer price index report from Statistics Canada.
The lack of affordability, of course, isn’t confined to the grocery store. Everywhere we turn, the cost of living is seemingly up, from what we pay at the pump to our home utility bills.
Community organizations like the food bank are known for making their dollars stretch well past their value, but there is only so much stretching they can do when battling increased demand and high food prices. Food bank dollars are not going as far at the grocery store, resulting in bigger bills for the organization, Krecsy said.
Food insecurity can often be a hidden issue in communities, especially affluent ones like St. Albert, where the perception is we can all afford to put our kids in hockey and dine out on the weekends. That is just not the case as many are suffering quietly to meet their basic financial obligations.
Some 6.3 per cent of Albertans are reducing their food intake because their bank accounts have run dry, which means nearly 4,400 of our neighbours are suffering from an empty stomach because they can’t afford their next meal.
Those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to weather today’s economic storm have an obligation to help those who can’t. The need has never been higher, and chances are, the need will continue well into next year as the full weight of interest rate hikes won’t be realized for several months to come.
The help doesn’t have to be monetary. Volunteer hours count for a lot, and there isn’t a non-profit group out there who would turn down volunteers, especially in the face of overwhelming need.
In the past, St. Albert has enjoyed a somewhat mythical reputation as an urban utopia, with low crime, good schools, nice cars and homes to match. Of course, reputations and reality don’t always coincide. The problems are real. More people than ever need help. Those of us who can help – even in small ways – can give a hand up to those who need it now.
