Don't think of food banks as a Band-Aid. What we do is more like a tourniquet
Some opinions — like food banks distributing unhealthy food — are not supported by the facts
This column is an opinion by Alex Boyd, executive director of Greener Village in Fredericton. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ.
It's that time of year again. The Christmas carols are long finished, the malls and stores are quiet, and for the first time in weeks, your local food bank isn't everywhere you look.
After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, life is returning to normal. But throughout December, you couldn't turn sideways without hearing about turkey drives, or gifts for kids, or other food bank endeavours.
And inevitably, this rise in publicity and recognition triggered a wave of comments, letters and thoughts. "Food banks are part of the problem,""food banks don't address the issue," and my personal favourite, "food banks are a Band-Aid."
To an extent, I get it.
Being the executive director of Greener Village, the largest food bank in New Brunswick, has given me valuable insight into how food banks have evolved. I realize the beginnings — and how the need for food banks has only increased over the last 40 years.
In fact, in 2022 food banks saw the highest level of need ever, with 23,000 visits in March in New Brunswick alone.
Some may say that this proves food banks are an inefficient model and should be scrapped since they don't help solve food insecurity. Those same opinions typically throw out several more concerns: "Food banks don't provide good food," we're told. Or that food banks cause shame, are judgmental or don't pay attention to the cultural needs of people.
I had the privilege of attending a conference about food systems several weeks ago. It was wonderful to hear about all the great initiatives throughout the Atlantic region to promote local food access, affordability and fairness.
It was great to hear the presenters from academia, business, agriculture and food charities talk about the need for local food production, processing and procurement.
One of the opinions expressed at the conference framed food charity as a Band-Aid. It took the air out of the room for a minute for me, as I realized that there are many people (including people at a food systems conference) in our communities who don't have an accurate understanding of how organizations like Greener Village actually function.
We're not fixing small scrapes on a knee
So let me be very clear. Food banks arenot a Band-Aid. A Band-Aid is a little strip of plastic that you put on a small wound. It's something that can be used for minor cuts and maybe on the odd scrape.
Food banks are not dealing with something so trivial. Food banks are dealing with a serious and systemic issue.
While food banks collected non-perishable items from individual donors, other donations allow them to purchase fresh and frozen foods that account for many of the contents of individual hampers. (Submitted by Alex Boyd )
So, the picture I'd like to put in your mind when you think about the rising prevalence of hunger in our communities is that of a person who just lost a limb.
Without immediate intervention, they are at risk of bleeding to death. We know that stemming the bleeding will not put this person back to perfect health, but the bleeding needs to stop if life is to be preserved.
Food banks across our country aretourniquets that are stemming the bleeding.
Here's what you need to know. Your local food bank is saving lives.
Let me tell you about some of the feedback we receive from our clients. It often feels overwhelming to read a phrase like this: "the food bank saved our lives."
My mind used to immediately discount that kind of thing. After all, we aren't firefighters, search and rescue, or health-care professionals. But the more feedback we receive, the more we hear that sentiment, over and over again.
It's time that we as food bankers take our role seriously — and talk about it with our communities.
Here's what you need to know. Your local food bank is saving lives.
The challenges are systemic
But the work isn't completed. We know that hunger is rising and that there are systemic challenges from food supply, waste, cost, availability and perhaps most importantly adequate awareness and education.
That's all before we even consider the challenge of income inequality, inflation and housing.
These most recent factors caused a 41 per cent increase in Greener Village client demand in 2022 alone.
All of these things need to be addressed if we are truly going to eliminate food insecurity. It is going to take a robust group of leaders who can begin to tackle all these issues at a policy level.
We need long-term solutions that factor in growing demand, increase in population and climate change.
Food banks play a critical role in filling the gaps. That's why places like Greener Village (and there are many) have "learning kitchens," which focus on food education.
It's why 60 per cent of what we spend on food goes to local and fresh food, and our hampers mirror this percentage in fresh and frozen food given to clients. Assumptions that food banks distribute unhealthy food are not true.
It's why we create many different hampers for people with different dietary, health and cultural needs.
It's why we work to divert edible foods from landfills and to make sure that we can get them to the people who need them most.
So while we wait for good, sustainable systemic solutions to the challenges of hunger and food insecurity, food banks will continue to be here — every month of the year.
We will continue to sustain lives, fill gaps and innovate to address a growing problem.
And, we will be here for those times when life throws you a curveball that you didn't expect.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
"The number of families from the McAdam and Harvey area using the Lakeland Resource Centre's food bank has jumped about 50 per cent over last year to 32, said Crissy Soucy.
She said she believes one of the main factors behind the increase is the rising cost of power bills.
In order to avoid social assistance clients having their power cut off if they fall behind on their bill, the Department of Social Development sometimes sets aside a portion of their cheque, "which leaves them with very minimal money given to them at the first of the month," said Soucy.
"And they have to rely on the food banks to get them through until the family allowance comes. And there's just not enough to go around," she said.
"So if their cheque was $850, they take $400 off and it leaves them with $450 to do them. And that means paying the rent, paying their phone bill, paying their whatever they have. And then they have to wait for family allowance to come, probably to pay more bills."
N.B. Power asks for biggest rate hike in 15 years: 8.9 per cent on April 1
Premier blames climate policies, but CEO says ‘very little’ of hike is due to carbon pricing
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Oct 05, 2022 3:48 PM ADT
"N.B. Power is asking energy regulators to approve an 8.9 per cent increase in power rates for all its customers, at the same time New Brunswickers are already coping with soaring housing, food and gasoline costs.
The Crown utility says it needs the huge increase in 2023-24 just to cover the "unprecedented challenges" caused by the spiralling cost of energy and inflation as well as higher interest rates.
"We recognize that any rate increase is difficult for our customers," acting CEO Lori Clark told reporters.
Some food banks frustrated over fewer funds, others welcome new funds
Rioux said the problem is not food stores but rising expenses for an organization on a tight budget — and a decrease in provincial funding that has exacerbated the issue.
"We can't always blame the government, but the cost of operation is getting higher and higher," Rioux told Shift New Brunswick.
"For us, we need electricity. Well, the government has raised four times the electricity [rates] and we have a cold storage that costs $300 a month to run."
FYI Alfie Smith and I attended the same hearing as Interveners
Sussex Sharing Club Wants NB Power To Implement Charitable Electricity Rate
Moncton, NB, Canada / 91.9 The Bend
May 10, 2016 | 8:02 PM
Sussex Sharing Club Wants NB Power To Implement Charitable Electricity Rate
The Sussex Sharing Club wants NB Power to implement a charitable electricity rate.
President Alfie Smith says NB Power is the only utility that doesn’t offer a charitable rate.
Smith says Saint John Energy, Nova Scotia Power and Aliant all have charitable power rates.
He says 35 of the 64 food banks in the area are direct customers of NB Power and would benefit immensely with a charitable rate that would free up more money for food.
Smith says 38 new families have been visiting the Sussex Sharing Club since the closure of PotashCorp.
He made his presentation during NB Power’s public hearing regarding their desired rate increase of 2 percent.
Smith says if the 2 percent rate increase is approved, it would cost food banks in the area another 100 dollars a month they can’t afford.
Right now, a food bank has to be located in a church to receive a charitable rate and only if that church was established prior to 1979, which Smith calls “outdated”.
Smith says he’s encouraged and hopeful that over the next three months that more help is given to charities.
https://www.greenervillage.ca/alex-boyd/
Alex Boyd
Alex is a Frederictonian, born and raised. He grew up on the North side, attending Devon Park Christian School, now Fredericton Christian Academy, for all 13 years of his initial schooling. He spent a year after high school travelling throughout North America in a signing group. His time away just solidified how much he was meant to be home. After 4 year at UNB, Alex attended and graduated from the Atlantic Police Academy in 2009. Alex has always been an active member of the community through volunteering. He volunteered for the Fredericton Police Force as an Auxiliary Constable.
His primary volunteer focus has been working with the Fredericton Food Bank helping others. He was involved in committees, board service, and various volunteer roles before stepping into a full-time position with Greener Village.
Alex is married, with 3 beautiful children who keep him young and on his toes. He loves being part of the community and is happy to invest his efforts to address the growing problem of food insecurity.
Methinks it high time the food bankers and I discuss the the 529 Matter before the EUB N'esy Pas?