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More food is needed for Xmas and beyond

Share Family and Community Services is putting out a last-minute call for food and cash donations to help its food bank customers get through Christmas and a tough winter.

Share Family and Community Services is putting out a last-minute call for food and cash donations to help its food bank customers get through Christmas and a tough winter.

Tri-City residents have been generous but donations haven't kept pace with the need, said Share's Heather Scott, who predicts the food bank could be short of non-perishable items by January.

According to Scott, donations are falling far short of the need as the number of families needing help has increased by 51% in the last four years. "The food bank is struggling," she said. "We had to strip the food bank to fill the hampers so normally at this time of year, we have enough food to help us through to May. Three years ago [Christmas donations] helped us get through to June. Now we're concerned we don't have enough food to get through January."

Holiday hampers were smaller as well, even though they have to last three weeks instead of two because of a scheduled holiday closure. For example, a family of four will receive four fewer items compared to last year, and hampers for single seniors or single people on disability had seven fewer items. Hampers for families with five people or more were smaller, too, Scott said.

Donors are encouraged to drop off food at a grocery store collection bin or make a cash donation to Share at www.sharesociety.ca. Scott noted donating cash is a more efficient way of helping the food bank because Share can buy what it needs and the food doesn't require sorting. "It saves us time and energy."

dstrandberg@tricitynews.com