Now that the new year has arrived, the Nakusp Food Bank has had the opportunity to look back on 2015.
While the food bank has enough food to keep going, the amount of people using it has gone up.
“There was an increase of about ten per cent from last year,” said Anne Miskulin, volunteer coordinator for Arrow and Slocan Lakes Community Services.
Miskulin said the reason for the increase is more people are moving into town, and a job shortage isn’t helping matters.
However, she said there is a lot of support for the program in the community.
“People care,” she said. “The people that are donating, they have families sometimes that are in a similar boat that the people here are in.”
While donations have been good, there is a small need for canned meat and vegetables.
One major event for the food bank was the annual Christmas baskets that were handed out just before the holiday.
This year, 146 hampers were handed out to families in need in Nakusp.
“They’re always very thankful that it’s here,” said Miskulin. “They’re always very polite and grateful to get food around Christmas time.”
As everyone heads into the new year, Miskulin reflects on the people in the community, specifically those who use the food bank.
“I just hope more people get work. I know that the people who have received food before, from the food bank, they get a job, and they’ll usually bring stuff to the food bank to help us out because they were so grateful for what they received, and the help the received.”
