Thunder Bay food bank demand continues to rise

The head of the Regional Food Distribution Association in Thunder Bay, Ont., says demand on its member organizations is steadily rising.

The RFDA supplies close to 50 food banks, shelters and soup kitchens throughout northwestern Ontario. 

This year, those food banks were accessed by about 9,000 individuals, said Volker Kromm, the executive director of the Regional Food Distribution Association, and close to 40 per cent of those relying on food banks are children. 

"So there's quite a lot of families, we also have a lot of seniors that are struggling, we also have a lot of singles (that have a single income) that are living near the poverty line," said Kromm. "There are a lot of people that need a little extra support." 

The number of individuals accessing food banks has risen moderately over the past few years, but when it comes to how often those people need to access food banks, there has been "a huge increase," he said. 

Kromm said rising food prices are forcing people to access food banks more regularly. 

Demand during the holiday season is "really high" said Kromm.

On Friday December 4, the CBC Thunder Bay station will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for a special Sounds of the Season event and special programming in support of the RFDA. Members of the public are welcome to drop by with donations.