There was a flurry of activity at the food bank last Tuesday as volunteers struggled to keep up with the demand.
The parking lot at the Lakes District Food Bank Coalition’s distribution centre on Third Avenue was full and at noon, the line of locals waiting to collect a box of food stretched out the door.
“It has been like this all morning,” said volunteer Jean Reimer.
She said the doors to the food bank are scheduled to open at 11 a.m. on distribution days however Reimer said they opened 30 minutes early on Tuesday to help cope with the demand.
Reimer was busy restocking shelves during the rush as said they group of approximately 10 volunteers had been working steadily since 10:30 a.m.
According to Reimer the food bank usually distributes between 40 to 60 boxes of food on distribution days.
“I’ll bet we hit 100 boxes or more today,” she said.
It was later confirmed by volunteers that 110 boxes of food were distributed to individual families.
She said the volunteers were not expecting so many people.
“Our supplies are good, but the shelves need restocking after this rush,” Reimer said.
The Burns Lake Fire and Rescue Department have also pitched in to help the food bank by transporting food supplies stored at the Lakeview Mall to the distribution centre every Thursday.
As reported in the Lakes District News edition of Feb. 15, 2012, Burns Lake Overwaitea made a donation to the food bank that filled an entire semi truck trailer. This donation included not only basic food items, but 200 turkeys and 240 boxes of chicken breasts. Burns Lake Overwaitea manager Shaun Beebe said to Lakes District News, “The donation was made to the food bank to help cope with increasing demand due to the Jan. 20, 2012 explosion and fire at Babine Forest Products.”
Food bank volunteer Joanna Carnie said, “We were not expecting so many people, thinking that since we are open every week it would even out but this is the second time we have had such a big turn out. The last time we helped over 60 households, which is not too much more than usual.”
Out of the 110 families that were helped at the food bank last Tuesday, 65 were regular clients. “We had 45 new households,” she said.
According to Carnie, 60 families would have been considered a busy day for the food bank. She said more seniors came for a box of food than ever before.
“Some people only came for the turkey vouchers, but that is almost over because there are only a few left now.”
Carnie said the food bank volunteers have risen to the occasion. “We have had new volunteers and they have all been terrific.”
“On our door [at the distribution centre] there is a sign that says, ‘If you have no food please come and get some. If you have food please donate.’ It’s pretty simple and it says what the philosophy of a food bank really is. Food bank’s work on the honour system and we have to trust that people of Burns Lake will be honest and treat the food bank with respect. Our mandate has always been to eliminate hunger in the Lakes District,” she added.
