Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jeremy Nixon. (Screengrab from YourAlberta)

By Regan Tate

Provincial government allocating money to address rising demand at food banks

Nov 23, 2022 | 10:46 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The rising cost of inflation is having a significant impact on residents with many struggling with the high cost of food.

As a result, food bank demand has been increasing as more and more Albertans need help putting food on their tables.

“We all know food banks are vital in our great province in meeting the great need that we see and bringing community together. Thousands of families, seniors and vulnerable Albertans rely on our local food banks when they’re in times of crisis to be able to food on their table,” Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jeremy Nixon said at Calgary Food Bank on Wednesday. “No Albertan should ever need to wonder where their next meal is coming from.”

The provincial government is committing $10 million over the next two years to support food banks and other civil service agencies. The first $5 million will be distributed in the coming weeks with the remainder to be allocated for use in fiscal year 2022-23.

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In addition to the $10 million over two years, there will be an emphasis on raising community awareness and involvement for food banks and other civil service agencies. An additional $10 million over two years in matching funds will be allocated towards Alberta food banks, charities, not-for-profits and civil society organizations.

Nixon says “food banks have always been good at mobilizing and involving the community and they work. There is great need and all of us have a role to play. Alberta is a strong province full of generous individuals that are eager to help their neighbours.”

Melissa Mullis, executive director at Medicine Hat’s Root Cellar Food & Wellness Hub, praised the government for recognizing that food banks across Alberta are in crisis. She added the matching program is important here because of the generosity of Hatters.

“We have been fuelled purely by the kindness of our community for 30 years and so I think that the government actually recognizing you know those donors and recognizing the support that we receive in the community is really big for us,” she said following the announcement. “I hope that it really encourages those donors that their donations are going to actually be able to stretch a lot further.”

Last month, on the heels of the annual HungerCount report by Food Banks Canada, Mullis said the Root Cellar is experiencing astronomical highs in usage and new clients.

The CEO for Food Banks Alberta, Arianna Scott, says “additional funding to the food bank network is critical to ensuring adequate access to funding. We are confident that together, we will be able to ensure equitable access to funding for all food banks, rural and urban, increasing capacity for food banks across the province to address the rising demand.”

More help for food banks was part of Premier Danielle Smith’s televised speech on Tuesday night.

Matt Jones, minister of affordability and utilities, denies the United Conservative Party government is vote-buying ahead of the provincial election in May.

Jones says he’s not about to apologize for providing help when people are suffering from what he describes as “an inflation crisis.”