Overwhelmed N.S. food banks expect summer months to be especially challenging

Food banks across Nova Scotia are struggling to meet a surge in demand, with the high cost of living pushing more residents to seek assistance. Feed Nova Scotia, a major charity, has seen a 50% increase in demand for its services since 2019, serving approximately 2,000 people daily through its network of food banks, shelters, and meal programs.

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We’ve just never seen this level of need across the province.

"We've just never seen this level of need across the province," said Ash Avery, executive director for Feed Nova Scotia. Between January and March, the organization recorded 111,000 visits, a 7% increase from the same period last year. Avery noted that the upcoming summer months will bring additional pressure as volunteer availability often dips due to vacations, and the pause in the provincial school lunch program leaves many children without a crucial source of nutrition.

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Between January and March, it was about 111,000 visits. So this is seven per cent more than this time last year.

Halifax's Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank is also experiencing heightened demand, distributing around 100 food boxes daily. Brigitte MacInnes, the bank's director of donor relations and communications, attributed the increased need to the rising costs of fuel and groceries, which directly impact families and children. "So there's a greater need within the community for a food bank and for the services we provide here," she said.

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The school lunch program really does help to support kids who are in families and households that are experiencing poverty or food insecurity.

Both organizations are advocating for long-term solutions to poverty. Avery emphasized that while one-time measures like the GST top-up are helpful, they are insufficient. She called for a renewed provincial poverty reduction strategy, noting it has been over 15 years since the last one. "We really want to see ourselves in a different place in the next few years. We want to those numbers come down of people who are having to go to food banks and access emergency support," Avery stated.

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We just saw the groceries and essentials benefit that went out to Canadians, to some Canadians, I should say, and things like that are helpful, but they are sort of one-time investments while we need to see something that is more systemic and prolonged.