Niagaras food banks join forces to help alarming number of residents in need of help
Ten food banks in Niagara are coming together to create 'Feed Niagara' to help the alarming number of people in need of help in the region.
While the situation in each Niagara municipality is a bit different, need across the region is up, consistent with trends across the province showing food bank usage is up over 40%.
The Hope Centre in Welland says the number of unique users has grown 54% since January of this year alone.
That number is 58% at West Lincoln Community Care.
Port Cares says that their growth means that they are currently serving 1 in every 8 residents in Port Colborne.
Our Great Holiday Food Drive is this Friday, and will benefit all Feed Niagara food banks.
Find out how you can help at 610cktb.com.
Feed Ontario’s Executive Director Carolyn Stewart-Stockwell joined the local leaders from Niagara member food banks in St. Catharines today to discuss key findings from the provincial association’s 2022 Hunger Report.
“Feed Niagara is an excellent example of the partnership and collaborative approach that reinforces our network’s united purpose of providing safe and nutritious food to people in need and our advocacy work to address the underlying causes of food insecurity in our province.”
The Feed Niagara coalition believe that one of the first steps in averting the potential depletion of resources for the food bank network is to get the message out about the extraordinary efforts that the individuals food bank members are making in meeting the growing need.
Here is a chart released at today's event.
Food Bank | Service Area | Current # of Unique Users | Growth in foodbank visits 2021 vs 2022 | Growth in # of unique users since January 1,2022 |
Port Cares Reach Out Centre 61 Nickel Street Port Colborne | Port Colborne and Wainfleet Currently serving 1 in every 8 residents in Port Colborne; Serving 1 in every 10 residents in Port Colborne and Wainfleet combined | 2,535 | In 2021 – 12,572 visits – so far for the eleven months in 2022 up 37% to 17,163 visits as of November 30, 2022 | 1,689 @ Jan 1/22 to 2,520 @ Nov 22/22 49 % increase |
The Hope Centre 570 King Street Welland | Welland Currently serving 1 in every 12 residents in Welland | 3,087 | Visits have increased 44% in 2022 from 7,228 in 2021, to 10,433 this year. | 2,011 @ Jan 1/22 to 3,087 @ Nov 22/22 54 % increase |
Project SHARE 2-4129 Stanley Ave. Niagara Falls | Niagara Falls Currently serving 1 in every 14 residents in Niagara Falls | 6,987 unique clients served from Nov 1, 2021-Nov 1, 2022 |
| 4,522 @ Jan 1/22 to 6,865 @ Nov 22/22 - 52 % increase |
Newark Neighbours | Niagara-on-the-Lake | 166 clients | 100% | 50 % increase calendar year to date in 2022 |
Community Care West Niagara | Lincoln- Beamsville, Vineland, Jordan, Campden, Rockway, Tintern | 755 | 19.5% | 718@Jan1/22 to 755@Nov22/ 22 5% increase |
GBF Grimsby Benevolent Fund | Grimsby | 708 |
| 48 % Increase from 477 unique users in 2021 |
Pelham Cares | Pelham- currently serving 1 in every 65 residents in Pelham | 279 | Visits have increased 13% vs 2021 | 235@ Nov. 3021 to 279@ Nov 22/22- 19% increase |
West Lincoln Community Care | West Lincoln | 417 | Growth in foodbank visits 2021 vs 2022 = average of 33% | Growth in # of unique users since January 1, 2022 = 94@Jan 1/22 to 161@ November 1 /22 58% increase |
Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold | St. Catharines Thorold | Serving 10 % of the population of St. Catharines & Thorold | 100% | 43% increase |
Salvation Army Fort Erie
| Fort Erie | 6,987 |
| 5,243 @ Jan 2022 to6,987 @Nov 2022 33 % increase |