Many feeling the Christmas hamper pinch across P.E.I., but Islanders are stepping up to help
'The good news is how our community is responding... It's sort of unbelievable'
Demand on food banks and community fridges across P.E.I. is up this holiday season, but some organizers say Islanders' generosity is keeping them going.
"The thing that always strikes me here is how people in the communities… just rally around each other and help out when somebody needs something," said Marg Brady, a member of Murray Harbour's community fridge committee.
"It just amazes me."
That fridge opened back in March in response to what the committee saw as a growing need for access on the part of people who couldn't travel to the food bank in Montague, about 25 km away.
It's not easy for the small group of six volunteers to manage the growing operation, despite both food and monetary donations from residents.
"We are constantly restocking," Brady said. "Sometimes we're looking at a little shortage of food, so then we have to scramble around and get some stuff in there."
As part of a food drive, the committee turned to students at Southern Kings Consolidated School to decorate special bags that can be filled with donations. Those will be collected during the community's Christmas parade this year, but they can also be dropped off at the Murray Harbour Community Centre or the community fridge location at the library on Main Street.
People can also provide monetary donations by sending an e-transfer to office@murrayharbour.ca.
'I'm very reassured about mankind'
While the constant need to restock community fridges is one indicator of rising food insecurity on the Island, local food banks are also seeing an uptick in requests for Christmas hampers.
In western P.E.I., the West Prince Caring Cupboard's hamper program had 420 families register this year compared to 384 last season.
That number includes more families of five or more than ever before, said Jackie Charchuk, the president of the hamper committee.
"Even families where they have people working, if they're working for minimum wage or seasonally, the cost of oil and groceries and just to clothe their children — everything is up," she said.
This is Charchuk's first year running the program, and she said it's taught her a lot about the community in West Prince — both the hardships it faces, and also its generosity.
"The good news is how our community is responding to this need. It's sort of unbelievable," she said. "I'm very reassured about mankind when I see what's happening in our community in terms of donations."
In eastern P.E.I., the Montague Food Bank's manager also expects to hand out more hampers than last year.
Norma Dingwell said about 300 are spoken for so far, and they expect some late registrations.
"Honestly, we will continue to accept them because we don't want anyone to go without," she said.
That could be easier said than done. Dingwell said the food bank can't afford to add toiletries to the Christmas hampers this year because of the cost, and there are other items like pasta and sauce that they've also had to cut.
"It's actually a crisis. We just keep seeing more and more families sign up. People that usually used to donate to us are now clients, so you see the urgency," she said.
"We're really dreading what it's going to look like in 2025."
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With files from Island Morning