The Oromocto and Area Food Bank may look small from the outside, but step into the back room and you’ll find piles of food. The room is packed from one end to the other with boxes of spices, cans of sauce, and even cat food.
But it’s necessary — food bank executive director Jane Buckley said demand has doubled in recent years.
“In New Brunswick, about five per cent of the population lives in food insecurity, and yet we don’t have a single captive. So it’s everyone across the board,” she said.
Misty Ragland said she uses the food bank to supplement her disability benefits, which support her family’s finances. She tries to only buy the basics, but even that can be difficult, she said.
“Sometimes it’s really hard to survive, especially if you want to be healthy,” she says.
Increasing demand from military personnel
Get the day’s top news stories from Canada and around the world delivered to your inbox.
The food bank is also minutes away from the Canadian Forces base known as the 5th Canadian Division Support Base in Gagetown.
Buckley said the number of service members accessing the food bank has also doubled since the pandemic, from 40 to 50.
“I think it’s a concern on some level,” she said, noting that while the cost of living affects everyone, military pay may contribute to the number of members using food bank services. He added that it is sexual.
“I can’t say that many senior executives are using food banks,” she says.
A spokesperson for the Canadian Forces declined to be interviewed, but said in an emailed statement that the military takes the matter seriously.
A spokesperson said the U.S. military is taking a number of steps to support its members nationwide, including increased pay inflation, borrowing and savings programs, and on-base housing.
Buckley said he has been in contact with people on the base to try to alleviate some of the problems.
Concern grows for older people who need support
It’s not just military personnel who have increased access to food banks. Ms Buckley said she was concerned about the growing number of older people needing support.
“These people have lived and worked all their lives, and here they are about to reach their golden years, and they can’t support themselves,” she said.
But she said the community has shown up to meet that growing demand. In addition to local churches, there are nine regiments that contribute to food banks.
“We’re very lucky here that some months we have more food than we need. And we share that food with other food banks in our area,” she said.
And it continues to support people like Ragland.
“I really appreciate the fact that we have these resources,” she said.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.