Chatham

Food Bank Sees Usage Numbers Climb

The local food bank says hunger is a growing issue in Chatham-Kent.

Outreach for Hunger says they're always in need of dollars and donations, as they've had over 3,700 visits since the end of summer.

"But the thing I find most disturbing is the fact that we've had 233 new families register just this year alone, up until the end of August," says Outreach for Hunger Executive Director Brenda LeClair.

"It's like, what's going on? Why are these new families registering? People who never thought they'd need to use a food bank."

LeClair says they want to highlight the climbing numbers for Hunger Awareness Week. The Food Banks Canada initiative is celebrated nationally to raise awareness, and began on Monday.

LeClair says they're challenging you to buy a bag of healthy groceries during Hunger Awareness Week.

"Take a picture of it, put it on your social media and bring it into the food bank. But challenge your friends to do the same, and let's see how much we can get for Chatham-Kent with the long winter months coming up."

She says they're most in need of nutritional and peanut-free snacks for back-to-school, pasta sauce, fruits and veggies, and 100 per cent juice.

LeClair says you can learn more about the issue of hunger this afternoon, at a barbecue in front of their Wellington Street headquarters in Chatham from 11am until 2pm.

"We're hoping people will come out and ask some questions about what's happening here in our community, ask some questions about what poverty is going on," says LeClair.

"You can take a tour of the food bank, and find out where your dollars are going, where your donations are going. Come see how we operate."

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