Summer is Here. Hunger Did Not Take a Vacation.

It is Canada Day, The barbecue is firing up. The kids are out of school. The garden is starting to produce. Summer is finally here, and for most of us, that means more time with family, more good food, and more reasons to smile.

But here is something easy to forget when our own plates are full.

For too many families in Port Coquitlam and other communities across Canada and the United States, summer is not a break from hunger. It is when hunger gets harder.

Why? Because school meal programs stop. Because summer jobs for parents do not always cover the bills. Because the cost of feeding kids at home all day adds up fast. Because the food bank sees donations drop just when demand stays high.

Everyone is thinking about vacations and long weekends. No one is thinking about the empty cupboard.

That is where you come in.

The food bank can turn every dollar into three or four dollars worth of food. They know what is needed. They have buying power you do not. A $20 donation buys more than $20 worth of groceries at the store. It is the most efficient way to help.

If you prefer to donate food, summer needs are different.

In the summer, the food bank needs (this list is generic, please check with your own food bank before you donate food:

·         Canned meat (tuna, chicken, ham)

·         Canned fruit (packed in juice, not syrup)

·         Canned vegetables (low sodium)

·         Peanut butter

·         Whole grain pasta and sauce

·         Rice (small bags)

·         Hearty soups and stews

·         Shelf-stable milk

·         Baby formula and baby food

·         Cereal (low sugar)

·         Granola bars and snack packs (great for kids at home all day)

Please avoid: Glass jars (they break), expired items (they cannot use them), and perishable food (they have limited refrigeration).

July, and August are months when we focus on our own families. That is natural. That is good. But hunger does not take a holiday.

If you have a little extra this summer, even a few dollars or a few cans, please drop it off at the food bank. Or leave it in a collection bin at your local grocery store. Or donate online.

Every bit helps. Every bit matters.

Because no one should wonder where their next meal is coming from. Not in winter. Not in summer. Not ever.

Thank you for remembering.