Montague food bank battles supply shortage

A shortage of supplies at a food bank in eastern P.E.I. has volunteers worried they won't be able to keep up with demand.

Lawrence Power, a volunteer at the Southern Kings and Queens Food Bank in Montague, said the shelves are half bare.

"This is the first time we ever had to ask the people to give a little more, which you hate to do, because they're pretty generous as it is," he told CBC News.

Power said supplies are the lowest they have been in several years. The food bank is especially low on cereal, canned meat, fresh vegetables and items like pudding for children's lunches.

"The people are trying, but you don't get as much for your money any more, with the price of groceries going up, so I think that has a lot to do with it," he said.

Power said demand for the food is also increasing, with one or two additional families needing the services each week.

The Montague location used to serve approximately 175 people each month. That number has climbed to about 250 every month, Power said.

"Most of the people that come here are working people that just can't make a go of it," he said.

"You're making $10 or $12 an hour and have a couple of kids. It's pretty rough out there."

In part because of the increase in demand for services, officials at the Montague food bank lobbied for a move to a larger location.

The move — to an old gas station on the outskirts of Montague — will happen at the end of October.