Help needed: N.L. food banks ask for mainland donations

Food banks in Newfoundland and Labrador have appealed for help from the mainland to meet a demand that's spiked during a sluggish economy, and fears that a tough new provincial budget could make things worse.

"Demand is fairly high right across the province as we get into June month," said Eg Walters, general manager of the Community Food Sharing Association. 

"Traditionally what happens is the school lunch programs and school breakfast programs start to close down," he said. "Individuals that were getting at least one meal a day are now backing up into the food banks." 

While the school year is regular and predictable, events like the devastating fire in Fort McMurray are not. 

"There's only so many charitable dollars to go around," Walters told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show on Wednesday.

Help on the way

"So we emailed Foodbanks Canada yesterday to tell them that our supplies were low and requested that if they could put a load of food for us and get it on the road that would certainly help."

The shipment is part of the regular distribution of goods between Canadian food banks.

The tractor-trailer would come rumbling down the road at some point in the year regardless. But Walters felt it was prudent to make the call early. 

"We want to be able to run ahead of the storm and make sure that we have food," he said.

"We talked to a lady up in Nunatsiavut about two weeks ago. They're looking at trying to set up two or three food banks up in that part of Labrador so that will add more pressure."

Walters said the usual contributors are still trying to do their part.  The oil and gas industry filled the shelves with a food drive last February. Individuals are still making donations and encouraging friends to do the same. And Purolator's national campaign Tackle Hunger Week wraps up June 10. 

"Still there were quite a few of the companies that normally would donate that didn't have the ability to donate this year, Walters said. "Also their ability also to raise funds within their staff was reduced because of cutbacks within the companies"

The fear now is that the impact of the most recent provincial budget is just starting to kick in. Gasoline taxes have gone up almost 19 cents a litre.  Income tax, sales tax and service fees are also going up. The temporary deficit-reduction levy will soon come into force.

"It's going to be interesting to see because a lot of people are kind of on the edge of having to use the food bank or not," Walters said. "This may tip them over. "