The Friends In Need Food Bank in Maple Ridge, B.C., ran out of fresh food an hour before closing last week \u2014 a stark sign of a deepening crisis as demand reaches historic highs and donations continue to fall. Staff say the timing could not be worse.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Editor’s note:<\/strong> A previous version of this story stated the food bank turned away clients after running out of food. In fact, clients who arrived after fresh food ran out received canned goods instead.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Executive director Kim Boekhorst<\/strong> says the food bank now serves more than 1,000 different households each month \u2014 nearly double the 516 it served five years ago.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “More people than ever are turning to the food bank for support,” Boekhorst said. “We’re seeing working families, seniors on fixed incomes, and individuals who never expected to need help now relying on our services to get through the month.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n April was the food bank’s busiest month on record. Staff logged 3,009 visits, serving 1,001 households and 2,235 individuals \u2014 including 93 newly registered clients. That represents a 15 per cent increase<\/strong> in visits compared to the same period last year.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The profile of clients is also shifting. “It’s working families that are coming in,” Boekhorst said. “It’s not what you may imagine as a client that would attend the food bank.” A recent report from Food Banks Canada<\/strong> found that 19 out of every 100 food bank users across the country hold stable employment.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n At the same time that demand is surging, the food bank’s Perishable Food Recovery Facility<\/strong> \u2014 which typically collects thousands of pounds of surplus food each week from local grocery stores \u2014 has seen donations drop dramatically.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Boekhorst points to two converging pressures. Rising food prices have prompted retailers to tighten inventory and order more conservatively, leaving less surplus available for redistribution. Canada’s Food Price Report<\/strong> forecasts food prices will rise between three and five per cent in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Trade disruptions are also playing a role. Ongoing supply chain challenges linked to new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods<\/strong> \u2014 and Canada’s retaliatory measures \u2014 have increased costs and complicated logistics for grocery retailers across British Columbia, further reducing the volume of perishable goods available for donation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Boekhorst also noted that grocery chains are increasingly using discount apps to sell near-expiry products rather than donating them. “Of course, groceries are in the business of making money,” he said. “So they are likely cutting down shrinkage and there’s apps available now where you’re able to purchase at a discount rate before it’s donated.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Meghann Forrest<\/strong>, who manages the food bank’s perishable food recovery program, says she understands what clients are going through from personal experience.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “I pretty much grew up using the food bank my whole life,” she said. “It’s horrible when you have to figure out how you’re going to get food for your family.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Food insecurity is at a record high across British Columbia, with more than one million people<\/strong> now experiencing difficulty accessing adequate food \u2014 a figure that advocates say underscores the need for sustained public and government attention to the issue.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Maple Ridge Food Bank Hits Record Demand as Donations Dry Up The Friends In Need Food Bank in Maple Ridge, B.C., ran out of fresh food an hour before closing last week \u2014 a stark sign of a deepening crisis as demand reaches historic highs and donations continue to fall. Staff say the timing could […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1034,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,37],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1035","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-economy","8":"category-news"},"yoast_head":"\nDemand Has Nearly Doubled in Five Years<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Grocery Store Donations in Sharp Decline<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Staff Know the Struggle Firsthand<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n