Prince Albert food bank faces soaring demand

The Prince Albert Food Bank is grappling with a significant surge in demand, with the number of hampers doubling since 2017.

Executive Director Kim Scruby says that just a few years ago, the food bank would still have supplies at the end of the week. However, in 2024, the shelves are nearly empty by the end of the week.

"This is low right now,” said Scruby about the remaining inventory on Friday morning. “We've had enough food to make all the hampers that we're going to need for today."

Due to the increased demand the food bank has devoted more time to managing their inventory. A year and a half ago they added an extra part-time position.

In addition to food and supplies, the organization relies on cash donations which are either done online or through the mail.

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According to Scruby over 60 per cent of cash donations are sent through mail and that they’re concerned about the postal strike impacting mailed donations.

“We're buying more and more [food for donation] lately,” said Scruby. “We buy it all locally. The same grocery stores that help us out throughout the year, and they help us out a lot."

Despite the challenges, the food bank has been able to meet the growing demand thanks to the generosity of local businesses, schools, and organizations.

"We've never actually run out of food or ever had to turn anybody away,” said Scruby. “That isn't going to happen now either. But like I say, it is becoming more of a challenge lately than it used to be."

Scruby said most questions from the community are about what kind of donations the food bank is looking for, which he says are non-perishable food items.