Whitehorse food bank creates 'family food day'
Director says 'safe' hours for children needed, as many adult clients can be disruptive
Every week the Whitehorse food bank serves hundreds of kilograms of fresh meat, potatoes, canned goods and other food stuffs to people in need.
The clients represent a wide cross-section of Yukoners from single parents and families, elders to the working poor.
But some people say the bank has become an intimidating place.
"We have a lot of safety issues going on here." says food bank executive director Kyla Merkel.
"There are a lot of people with mental health issues and addictions that are here, based on necessity, and so they often come in and they're inebriated or they are in a bad mood. You can just see it in families when they come in they're sometimes scared or very uncomfortable. I'm just trying to alleviate that a little bit and make them feel more welcome," Merkel says.
To help deal with the problem, the food bank is trying a new program — weekly hours exclusively for families with children.
"The idea is to create a day when food can be distributed strictly to parents and their kids" says Merkel.
Food bank tries to become a welcoming place for children
Family days will run Wednesdays from 10 until 1.
Merkel says there are 310 children who use the food bank each month.
The food bank plans to introduce activities for children such as colouring. A small library will also be available to make children feel welcome.
Merkel says that catering to the community and meeting its different needs is at the philosophical heart of the food bank's mission.