The Salvation Army Food Bank in Prince George now serves more than 3,700 people every month, an increase of 25 per cent over last year.
“We go up about 25 per cent every year,” Terra Laflamme, Salvation Army community ministries supervisor, said. “And of those 3,700 people about 35 per cent are children.”
To serve that many people every month, there are between 10 and 15 volunteers that come into the Curt Garland Community Support Centre’s Food Bank at 3500 18th Ave. to help prepare for residents who walk through the doors every day in need of a food hamper.
The Salvation Army is also a food bank hub that sees as many as 25 local organizations access the food bank to provide for those they serve.
The food recovery program at the Salvation Army Food Bank sees salvageable, perishable food not sellable at the grocery store donated to the food bank where it gets sorted between what’s good for human consumption and what’s best suited for farm animals. That keeps it out of the landfill as well, Laflamme explained.
Judy White is one of the dedicated volunteers who donates three hours of her time twice a week and she mainly organizes the milk and cheese and other perishable food items that are donated by local stores.
White decided to give back to the community after she retired and started volunteering at the Salvation Army Food Bank in 2019.
“I wanted to keep busy while helping the community. It’s all about helping people and this is an important job,” White said. “These are tough times for people who don’t have much money to buy groceries and it’s important to sort the food so that makes it easier to give it out. The Salvation Army treats everyone with respect and they deserve good food.”
For more information about the Salvation Army Food Bank visit www.sapg.ca/services/food-bank/.
