During his 19 years with the Inn of the Good Shepherd, Executive Director Myles Vanni says he's never seen the community need reach this level with so many households utilizing food banks and other programs.
"This is the highest. When I first started at the food bank, I think we were averaging about 1,200 to 1,400 people a month but we're at 2,200 a month now," he said.
Vanni said many of the people who frequent the food bank regularly are those who previously managed from paycheque to paycheque but are now unable to stretch their earnings.
Other programs run through the Inn, including the soup kitchen, have also seen an increase in demand. Vanni said they often serve 95 people per day and for some, that may be the only hot meal they receive.
While demand has increased, donations have dropped 20 per cent. As a result, Vanni said food expenditures have increased from $5,000 per month to $20,000 per month.
So how sustainable is the food bank model?
Vanni said he was in Toronto last week to discuss the concerning topic with representatives from food banks from across the province.
He said a couple of pilot projects are underway in other parts of the province to source food from other outlets including manufacturers, processors, and warehouses to glean extra food.
"Food banks have always wondered about sustainability. Can we manage and continue doing what we're able to do from a food supply point of view and of community generosity," Vanni said. "It's been even more acute as we've seen the number of people using the food bank increase because of inflation and housing costs. Are we able to maintain such a pace?"
However, Vanni said there is hope as they look at new sources and partner with more chain businesses.
The Inn has been successful with its food recovery program where it works with local grocers and businesses.
For example, Vanni said they'll pick up "day-olds" from The Bagel Factory and Tim Hortons. Little Caesars will also often donate hot and ready pizzas because, after 12 minutes of sitting, they're no longer viable for customer purchase.
The Inn will also visit chain grocery stores at least once per week to pick up day-of or near-expired items that are still good for consumption.
"Grocery stores have jumped on really well and have been a bright light in terms of being able to pick up meats, cheeses, breads, and vegetables," he said.
There are also other ways of giving back through area grocery stores. Vanni said when stores, like Walmart, ask customers if they would like to donate to the food bank, there's typically a 90/10 split with the majority going to the charitable organization.
He said the Inn also partners with stores like Metro that have pre-made bags for $6.99 to go to the food bank. He said those items are chosen based on the Inn's high-demand product needs and the bags are usually valued at about $1 more than their purchase price.
"I think there's always the interest to ensure that the donations are going to help locally," he said. "People should be reassured that if you're donating at the till at Walmart or Metro or Food Basics or wherever, the vast majority will come and support right to the Inn of the Good Shepherd."
Since the Inn also acts as a hub within the community, if there is a surplus of something, that will then be split and given to other smaller food banks across the county.
Vanni went into details about each of the Inn's programs during a Kiwanis Club of Sarnia-Lambton Golden K meeting on Tuesday.