The Helping Hand Food Bank in Bradford recently received a grant of $35,600 from the 2022 Emergency Food Security Fund.
The fund is administered by Food Banks Canada and funded by the Government of Canada, specifically Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Emergency Food Security Fund, and was the fourth intake round of COVID-19 relief.
“We’ve worked hard for the past two years to access grant funding for our food bank as the need in our community has never been greater,” said Coun. Jonathan Scott. “It’s great news that we now have a $35,000 grant funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada that will help purchase food and cover overhead costs at the food bank.
"With the price of food increasing and the impacts of the pandemic still being felt, many in our community need the food bank more than ever.”
The grant will provide money for fresh food items like eggs, milk, apples and oranges for six months, and a staff position with Helping Hand to assist with the increased number of people accessing the food bank.
“This grant isn’t specifically for food; it’s partially funding a staff position because of the need to have more help to run the food bank because of COVID and our high number of clients,” said Helping Hand Food Bank executive director Carolyn Khan. “The food portion of the grant was $15,600. That’s only for six months and it’s only for fresh produce.”
As the price of food and fuel increase, and with a lack of affordable housing, and the job market in Bradford still feeling the effects of the pandemic, the grant was much-needed support.
“It’s not just us in Bradford. Every food bank is experiencing the same thing where people are starting to feel the post-pandemic fallout,” Khan explained. “The job loss not only happened, but is still impacting people and now, all of a sudden, there’s the rising cost of food and fuel. It’s making living almost unbearable for some people.”
With more funds being needed to support food banks that provide resources to those in the community in need as a result of the high cost of living, Khan says inflation has led to people accessing the food bank who normally wouldn’t.
“Food banks are necessary and here to stay, but if you look at it as a societal problem, something is wrong and it’s not just food people need … It’s money because it’s all related to poverty,” she added. “We’re a Band-Aid solution and every food bank will say the same thing. We know we’re not the answer, but we’re a temporary source of relief.
“The pandemic has made everything worse, and the people we’re seeing aren’t your typical food bank user. We’re seeing a trend in people who own their homes, have a mortgage, own two cars, and have their kids in school in town who don’t know how to access the food bank but now have to make a choice between fuel, food and mortgage. It’s a new kind of food bank user.”
Donations of money are the most effective, Khan said.
“Financial donations go just a little bit further than food donations. We’re able to buy in bulk and get better deals. Our local retailers are extremely generous with us when we do bulk orders. However, food donations are always welcome,” she said.
For those in the community who may be in need of support from Helping Hand, but are new to seeking its help, Khan says the process is simple to get them started.
“We can reach people on different levels,” she said. “They can call us (at 905-775-2824), but social media is a big one. We have an Instagram page and a Facebook account where they can message us. We also have our email address ([email protected]) and it’s a simple reply back with all the details. All you need is to come in with your identification documents and proof you live in Bradford.”
More information about Helping Hand Food Bank and how to access it or donate to it can be found here.
