Brockville, Ont. food bank sees 49 per cent increase in visitors, report says

A new report shows the Brockville and Area Food Bank saw a 49 per cent increase in visitors in 2022, as food inflation continued to hit pocketbooks. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

A new report out from the Brockville and Area Food Bank shows a surprising increase in the number of users they have seen compared to 2020.

And as food inflation continues to climb, stretching those cash donations is also becoming difficult.

In their 2022 Report to the Community, the food bank says it saw a number of firsts, including a big jump in the number of visitors.

"The 49 per cent was honestly the biggest. Like I work here every day. I see it," Operations Manager Alee Andrews D'Orazio said.

"When you see that big of a number jump from year to year, you think, what more can we do?" she said.

The report states 16,346 visitors received food in 2022.

"We saw in 2021, not as many users," Andrews D'Orazio said. "Although we were very busy, when CERB was coming in, people were able to pay for their own groceries and they used money for exactly that."

Another first was the amount of monetary donations they received from the community, which was close to $500,000.

"That was one of the things that kept us going and is still keeping us going," Andrews D'Orazio said. "We are very lucky to have community around us that we do have. Without them, I don't know where we would be; if we would be able to supply as much food as we can."

Community donations totalled $479,522, with $33,664 coming from grants.

A total of $316,352 was spent to purchase food, against a cost of $81,679 to run the food bank, and $78,002 used to pay salaries.

Volunteers put in more than 10,000 hours, the report noted, and more than $13,000 in gift cards were handed out.

But with higher food costs, it's harder for the food bank to stretch that dollar like they once could, according to Andrews D'Orazio.

"My bills are going up monthly and I'm shocked," she said. "We see an increase in users in our food bank because the income isn't there with the increase in groceries."

She noted with meat prices soaring, they have had to cut back on what they purchase, sticking mainly to hamburger and chicken drumsticks.

"(They) are still a great staple, and I'm glad that we have them to offer, but they do dwindle down fast and I am concerned," Andrews D'Orazio said.

Across town at Loaves & Fishes, another not-for-profit that supplies meals to the community, they have also seen an increase in their services, even delivering 50 to 60 meals per day.

"We're seeing the same faces as the food bank, but we see different faces sometimes," said volunteer and Board Chair Joan Thomas. "So sometimes people can manage, but maybe they are not cooks."

Thomas says their $2 meal program is going well, but they never turn anyone away.

"If someone comes and says I don't have any money, we say that's fine and we'll serve your meal," she said.

"We've seen an increase but also seen just a difference in the need," she said, noting men and seniors are a majority of clients, or those who do not own a vehicle.

"There's not the mobility to get out and get things so we see some of that. We have people coming in who just haven't eaten for a while, for some reason or another," she said.

On Thursday, Thomas was preparing food for their Empty Bowls fundraising event happening Saturday, one of Loaves & Fishes biggest fundraising events for the year.

Soup made by local chefs will be served in handcrafted bowls made by local artisans, which those who attend get to keep.

"We really appreciate the support of our community and just making the awareness," Thomas said. "We want people to be aware we're here so that they can take advantage of it."

Thomas says the two non-profits do share large donations as much as possible, receiving a call Thursday from the food bank about a 440-pound delivery of mushrooms, that had been dropped off.

"We can cook pretty well anything and the girls here are really, actually they are gourmet cooks," Thomas smiled. "We can turn anything into a great meal."

Andrews D'Orazio says already for 2023, about 1,500 visitors are relying on the food bank each month, which if it continues, would surpass the 18,000 mark by the end of the year.

"Thank god for those community donations, the grants that we receive, it's how we're able to run this place," she said.

The community report also shared that the food bank's first fundraising event on Labour Day weekend raised $22,000, and an updated version will return in 2023 in downtown Brockville.

"Having those events, not just as fundraising events to keep our self as part of the community, it allows even our visitors to go to an event like that to break down any barriers, which is huge," Andrews D'Orazio said.

Items the food bank is looking for currently, include children's snacks for lunches, like granola bars and juice boxes, as well as staples like canned soup, vegetables and pasta sauce.