'Strive to feed': Innisfil Food Bank demand surged in 2023

Last year was a difficult one for many people.

Nobody knows that better than Innisfil Food Bank coordinator Donna Sawyer and the volunteers who ensure that donations reach those in need of assistance.

Overall, 1,822 families sought assistance from the food bank in 2023, which was 400 more than the year before. The 2023 total also included 237 new families.

Sawyer told InnisfilToday the need for assistance has skyrocketed since she has been working at the food bank, as there has been a 78 per cent increase in the number of families requiring assistance in four short years. The need is only expected to rise.

Over 80,000 pounds of food was donated to the organization last year, almost 19,000 of which was given in December.

“I am extremely grateful for the support our awesome community has shown for our food bank,” Sawyer said. 

The majority of families who seek assistance pick up boxes of pre-packaged food two to five times per year, while 24 per cent of families rely on the food bank every month.

Sawyer says the organization distributes $20,000 worth of food per month, and over 50 per cent of the families that require assistance have dependants.

“They may be supporting kids, kids that are 18-plus, or even their senior parents," she said. "We are seeing more and more multi-generational households, which tells us there are adults coming to us that are known as the sandwich generation. That means they are sandwiched between taking care of both their kids and ... their parents.”

Sawyer meets with the Simcoe County Food Council once per month via Zoom. Representatives from the food banks in Simcoe County are invited to attend.

“We discuss challenges and wins that we are all facing in Simcoe (County)," she said. "We will be meeting at the end of January and will be talking about what the holiday season looked like for food banks — challenges and wins from last year and things that we look to accomplish this year.”

At the time of writing, the Innisfil Food Bank needs cans of diced tomatoes, juice boxes, jam and peanut butter.

“As we go forward into 2024, we hope to see donations flood our food bank as we strive to feed the people in our community that struggle with food insecurity,” Sawyer said.

Local grocery stores accept donations for the food bank year-round. And the Innisfil Community Events (ICE) Corporation has also pledged to donate proceeds from next month’s Polar Bear Dip to the food bank.

The food bank is in Innisfil Community Church, which is located at 1571 Innisfil Beach Rd.

To learn more about the food bank — including its upcoming Valentine’s Food Drive — please follow the organization on Instagram and Facebook.