Remember your Food Bank

Hunger does not stop because it is summer. In fact, for many families, it is worse than other times of the year. Many children rely on school programs for breakfast or for lunch. With schools closed for the summer, these programs do not operate, and children may go hungry. Every community has its own Food Bank and every one of these needs us to remember them in the summer and to donate--money or food, or time. As the heat of summer starts to build, remember your neighbours and give to your local Food Bank.

Support your local Food Bank

When I was a  Director of SHARE FAMILY SERVICES I was and I still am proud of the work the organization is -doing in the Tri-Cities and would like to share the following with you. When I was on the Board, my goal was to eliminate our funding of the FoodBank but the demand just kept growing. This year is no different,  I was hoping that this year the demand for our food bank would be less than in previous years, it is not, the demand is higher. We need your help and support to continue. Please help

SHARE FAMILY SERVICES is well into its seasonal funding raising drive.  So I want to get the word out that the people who use this services need your support.  If you live in another area of the lower mainland or the country, and you can contribute to your local Food Bank and your local charities, I would encourage you to do so.

I plan to continue to contribute this year through monthly payments.  You can also choose to make a one-time donation to the food bank, to purchase a Christmas hamper or to fund other items for families in need.  Thank you in advance for supporting your neighbours who need your support.

For many of us, December is a month of festive events, fond childhood memories, happy get-togethers and warm feelings. But for over 2,200 children and their families in the Tri-Cities area, December is a time of year that is filled with disappointment and sadness because they can’t put food on the table and don’t have the resources to enjoy the season. 

Thanks to generous donors, SHARE has been able to help families in need enjoy the holiday season since 1972. Last year alone over 1,773 families received Christmas hampers, 1,722 children received toys through the Toy Bank, and throughout the year 2,859 families were fed through the Food Bank. This is a reminder that we still need your help and hope you will consider being even more generous than in the past as we try to keep pace with increasing needs in the Tri-cities.

As you read this message consider your own community and those who need your help and if you can support the food bank in your town or city.

Every year, the foodbank count on fundraising and food raising in December to help us get through until the spring. While we will not have final numbers for the amount of food and funds that we have raised until January, we know that our efforts have simply not been able to keep up with the demand that we have been seeing. 

Even though we reduced the size of our Christmas hampers this year, we are still far short of the food and funds we need to put food on the shelves of the Food Bank in January. As most of you know, our Food Banks do not receive government funding…we are able to deliver these services only through the generous donations we receive from the Tri-cities community and the thousands of hours of volunteer time we receive from hundreds of caring people.

We need to generate significantly more donations in the next few days. At this point, donations of funds are preferred to donations of food, as funds allow us to act quickly to make appropriate food purchases. I would appreciate it if you would consider a donation and forward this message to others who might also be willing to help the children and families we serve with our food bank. 

For those of you who have already made a donation, please forgive this appeal and accept our sincere thanks. If you could forward this message to others who might be able to help, we would sincerely appreciate it.

SHARE has a long history of finding a way to help when and where help is needed the most and this is certainly one of those times.

Thank you for your consideration and help at this time of year.

Mid August, think of supporting your Food Bank

I am a big supporter of our local food bank and I know that as summer heats up, the food bank in my community and I suspect in your community is running low. I talked to our local food bank director and was told that right now supplies from the winter months are now so depleted that the number of grocery items in small, medium and large hampers may have to be reduced.

In many communities across Canada, giving to the food bank is a tradition during the Christmas season but drops off when summer approaches. Our food bank is starting a summer food campaign — which begins Friday — and the hope is that people will remember to drop off an extra item at the grocery store or collect a box of food at their office, club or other location. In many community’s food banks will be starting their own food drives.

One of the goals of this summer campaign is to encourage people to choose healthier options to give to the food bank.

While the number of food bank users is holding steady, the cost of food and housing means there are always people who need a hand. I encourage you to be generous to the food bank before heading away for their holiday.

With a reminder and some encouragement, the community will come through to help our neighbours.

Here is a list of what is needed in our food bank, I suspect it is similar in your community.

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK 

•      canned fruits and vegetables

•      canned meats and fish

•      cooking oil

•      juice (no sugar added)

•      lentils and beans (canned or dried)

•      rice

•      tomato sauce and paste

•      pasta sauce

•      whole grain pasta

•      gluten-free items

•      flour

•      peanut butter

•      Ensure or Glucerna (vanilla flavour)

•      diapers (sizes 4 and 5)

Support your local foodbank

I know that Valentines Day is tomorrow, but as we think about honoring our loved ones, I want you to consider that many Canadians face hunger every day. For those of us who are fortunate enough not to be in that situation,we consider giving flowers and candies to our loved ones. Something to think about, instead of honoring your love with candies or flower, perhaps a donation to the foodbank in their name would be a more thoughtful gift

Every March the Food Bank of Canada puts out its Hunger Count, Now is a good time for us to think about supporting your local Food Bank, Here are some sad statistics from last March.  

In March 2015, 852,137 people received food from a food bank in Canada. More than one-third of those helped were children. 80,000 people seek help for the first time each month

Households that make the difficult decision to ask for help from food banks tend to be the most severely food insecure because their incomes are too low to cover even the most basic needs:

·       7% of households helped by food banks live primarily on income from a pension

·       16% of those assisted earn the majority of their income through work

·       18% of households receive disability-related income supports

·       46% of households accessing food banks are on provincial social assistance benefits

The households that request assistance are often forced to limit their spending on food because of the high and relatively inflexible cost of housing;

·       5% of households accessing food banks are homeless, with the majority of these living temporarily with family or friends

·       7% own their homes

·        20% of those assisted live in social housing, with subsidized rents

·       67% of households helped live in rental housing and pay market-level rents

Finally, the family composition of those accessing food banks is diverse:

·       10% of households accessing food banks are couples without children

·       44% of those helped are families with children, and nearly half of these are two-parent families

·       46% of households assisted are composed of single individuals – a group that continues to grow, having gradually increased from just 30% of the total in 2001

The Hunger Count not only tells us how many Canadians do not have food security, it makes recommendations on how to solve the problem. It is an important document and it can be read in full here

The following snapshots from the Hunger Count shows the extent of the problem:

Hunger Count 2015

The Hunger Count for 2015 for Canada has just been released, and the numbers are saddening. Instead of less people using Food Banks, there are more people using Food Banks. The number of people accessing Canadian food banks increased for the third consecutive year in 2016, and is now 28% higher than before the 2008-2009 recession. 

• 863,492 people received food from a food bank in March 2016
• 307,535 children are helped each month  while children aged 6-11 make up about 6% of the total Canadian population,  they make up over 12% of people accessing food banks
• 155,756 Canadians in rural communities rely on a food bank every month 

For more information and ideas on how to solve this problem, go to Find out more from HungerCount 2016

While we wrestle with this problem, our neighbours, friends and others, still may need our support; so take some time and donate, or volunteer at your local Food Bank. If you can a donation of money is more useful than a donation of Food. Both gifts are appreciated, but money can go further in helping. 

We are moving into the spirit of giving, so make your gift to the Food Bank one of your (new) family traditions.

Hunger does not take a vacation

As the summer rolls on, the shelves of your Food Bank begin to get bare as our supplies dwindle. Hunger does not take a vacation! 

In order to keep providing food hampers to those in need in our community, Food Banks around the country will be hosting summer campaigns to fill their shelves. Many have goals that need to be filled to help your neigbours this summer. In my area our Food Bank has a campaign to help them raise 10,000 pounds of food  and $10,000 to fill their shelves so they can continue to deliver hampers to the almost 400 individuals and families who look to SHARE to help each week!  

Many Food Banks across Canada and the US will be having similar campaigns, as the need is just as great in the summer as it is at Xmas.

“Most people think about donating to the Food Bank during the Christmas holiday season, but the Food Bank is a year-round operation. Come summer, our reserve of food starts to shrink and it is only through the wonderful generosity of the local community that we are able to restock the shelves and continue to provide food hampers up until the traditional giving season again.” says Director of Fund Development Valerie Hutton.

There  are many ways to participate in your local Food Bank Campaign, start by doing a google search for Food Banks in your local community and contacting them. 
Here are some of the ways to participate and support SHARE’s Remember the Food Bank Campaign:

• Visit www.sharesociety.ca and donate on line 
• Call Shawna at 604.529.5105 and make a donation over the phone  
• Donate food directly to SHARE’s Food Bank at 2615 Clarke Street in Port Moody (at the back of the building) 
• Drop your food donation off at any local grocery store in the Tri-Cities 
• Host a food drive or fundraiser.  
• Visit  http://sharesociety.ca/host-a-fundraiser/  to get the details and see how easy it is 
• To find out what the most urgent food items needed are please click HERE.
• Watch for more exciting news about Remember the Food Bank Campaign in the next few weeks!  
• Plans include a 2-day food drive at multiple local grocery stores and a community open house at our Food Bank.

The Every Plate Full Food Drive

I support the Foodbank in my community, and as we approach summer, we can forget that many of our neighbours need our help. So I urge you to support the Every Plate Food Drive across Canada. For those of you outside Canada, I urge you to consider supporting your local Foodbank, the need exists. 

Thousands of Canadians face hunger every year and food banks across the country are unable to keep up with the demand. Especially in the summer months. This year, we’re facing hunger head on. 

In 2016, from May 1-31, food banks across Canada will come together to participate in the Every Plate Full Food Drive with an inspiring goal: to fill the plates of every hungry Canadian this summer. 

Through the efforts of local food banks with the support of our national campaign, we are bringing Canada together to make a difference

• 918,724 Canadians will access a food bank this summer.
• 37% of those Canadians are children.
• 26,548,725 Meals are needed this summer.

Join your local Foodbank in May 2016!  Food Banks Canada is the national charitable organization representing and supporting the food bank community across all of Canada. Their network of 550 food banks support 85% of people turning to food banks help. Together, they strive to meet the short-term need for food while creating for long-term solutions to hunger. 

Together we are filling plates and changing the stats.

Here is a list of Provincial Foodbank organizations

BC Foodbank http://www.foodbanksbc.com/

Alberta Foodbankhttp://www.albertafoodbanks.org/

Saskatchewan Foodbankhttp://www.skfoodbanks.ca/

Manitoba Foodbank http://mafb.ca/  

Ontario Foodbank http://www.oafb.ca/

Quebec Foodbank http://www.banquesalimentaires.org/

New Brunswick Foodbank http://www.foodbanksnb.com/

Nova Scotia Foodbank http://www.feednovascotia.ca/

Prince Edward Island Foodbank https://www.foodbankscanada.ca/#

Newfoundland Foodbank http://www.cfsa.nf.net/

Help Us Keep Our Community Strong Remember The Food Bank

My friend Ed Yee, who is Chairperson of SHARE Family Services recently sent out an email, which I want to share with you. All communities have Food  Banks  or  equivalent systems where those who do not have enough food can go for help. I urge you to support your local organization(s) that run the Food Banks. Our neighbours need our help at this time of the year. Those of you who have been reading this blog, know that I was a Director of SHARE Family Services for 6 years and I support their work.

I want to recognize and thank you for the donations you have consistently given to SHARE over the years. We consider you a part of the SHARE family.  Your ongoing investment in SHARE helps to make sure that individuals and families in the Tri-Cities receive the services they want and need to participate actively as friends, neighbours and parents in our community.

You may know that the SHARE Food Bank operates entirely because of people like you who want to help those in our community who are hungry.  There is no government funding for Food Banks and the stores of food that were donated at Christmas are now nearly gone. We are asking for a gift that will help us ensure there is food in the food bank through to the Fall when summer holidays are over and the normal patterns of giving to the food bank return. I am writing with urgency and hope that you will make another donation today to help provide food to families through the summer months.
 
The SHARE Food Bank is the registered Food Bank for the Tri-cities communities. In the last fiscal year (2014/15) we served 5284 people. Of those, almost 2000 were children aged 18 and under. That represents 35% of those lining up for food each week. Families arrive at the Food Bank with many different stories.  Some have had to swallow their pride after they lose their employment and are just finding a way to feed their family.  Others are fighting illness and cannot work.  Their meager income can barely cover their medical expenses.  Still others are new comers, struggling to find work and overcome the significant barriers of language and a new culture.  The stories are as unique as the person who lines up.

I’d like to tell you one of these stories.  Melissa is a young woman with 2 children and was pregnant with her third when she fled her abusive relationship.  She and her children spent several months in hiding at a women’s shelter until she managed to get into BC Housing.  Due to the abuse she suffered during her pregnancy, she was considered a high risk pregnancy and was under constant doctor’s care to monitor the health of her unborn child. She came to the SHARE Food Bank for help. Because she was pregnant, she was able to receive a weekly food hamper as well as the Tiny Bundles items. This fresh produce, milk, eggs and other dairy products helps to ensure that she delivers a healthy baby and that her other children are fed every day too. Melissa’s story is just one of hundreds of compelling and often tragic situations that bring our friends, neighbours and family members to SHARE. With your help, we will be there when we are needed. 

Please Remember the Food Bank today and give a gift to help Tri-Cities families who are struggling. There are many ways to give. You can complete the form below or give online at sharesociety.ca.  You could make your donation affordable by signing up as a monthly donor and giving a smaller donation each month. We purchase dairy, produce and eggs for these special hampers to make sure babies get the nutrition they need. However you decide to make a donation, it will help provide food to families in the Tri-Cities.

Thank you for your support. Thank you for considering another gift and for supporting individuals and families in the Tri-Cities community.
Sincerely,


Ed Yee, Chair
SHARE Board of Directors

PS: This past year, 196 families with children under one year of age or with a mother who was expecting relied on our Tiny Bundles program to provide a weekly hamper filled with milk or baby formula, fresh produce, cheese or eggs. This important program ensures that the pregnant or nursing moms and their children under one are provided with the nutrition that is critical for a good, healthy start. The Tiny Bundles program is possible because of donations like yours that keep infants healthy in their critical first year.

Want to do more this summer to help the Food Bank?

Support your local food bank. More can be done to help our communities today. Check out some ideas below with some of the Partner Campaigns running with FoodBanks Canada.

Husky's 's Dog Days of Summer campaign - When myHusky Rewards members swipe their cards at the pumps or in stores, they will be entered to win a grand prize of $5,000 for the food bank in their community. Running now through to September 1, 2015.  

Share The Table - When you post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram what dinner at your house looks like, with #Sharethetable, you will be entered for a chance to win a trip to Italy and receive an authentic Italian experience. All thanks to Barilla, who will also be donating a meal to Food Banks Canada with every share 

French's Ketchup? Yes you heard right! French's has come out with a new line of rich and flavourful ketchup. For every bottle of French's Ketchup purchase, French's will donate 10 cents to Food Banks Canada.

READ MORE ON PARTNER CAMPAIGNS

Hunger Lives Next Door: Support your local Food Bank

Hunger Lives Next Door:One-in-Five Canadians Skip Meals to Help Make Ends MeetHelp Food Banks across Canada Reduce Hunger by supportingHunger Awareness Week: May 4 – 8 2015

Food banks across the country are asking Canadians to join the Hunger Awareness Week movement from May 4-8, 2015, to raise awareness about the solvable issue of Hunger in Canada.

In communities nationwide complex factors such as health, education, and employment are directly impacting Canadians’ ability to feed themselves and their families.  Hunger can very much be a hidden issue and the number of people forced to live with it is often underestimated.

 You can help make a positive impact during Hunger Awareness Week with three easy steps:

Give It Up: Put food out of reach - challenge yourself to fast on May 8^th.
Give a Shout: Share your experience – show your support via Facebook, Twitter (#HungerWeek), or blogging.
Give It Out: Donate food, funds or your time to a local food bank.     

Food Bank Community Gardens

I just received this email and I thought I should share it. Food Banks around the world, need your help and I thought this story and thoughts would help you consider supporting your neighbors in need.The links are to the Canadian Food Bank.

“Even when I’m not caring for my garden, I’m thinking about it. And I never miss a cooking class! Everyone in my family benefits when I learn to grow good vegetables and cook good food. At first, I was hesitant, and just not sure what I was doing. But now I just dig right in! I guess I must look like a real garden expert because other families ask for MY help! What a boost of confidence! And every time I learn a new recipe in the class, I go home and make it at least 3 times for my family. I teach my sister and nieces how to make it for their families.” - Sara, mother of 2, food bank user and community garden enthusiast!

In communities just like yours right across Canada, your support of Food Banks Canada is helping relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow. Just as Sara’s love and care enriches her community garden plot, your gifts enrich the lives of families like Sara’s!

And today, I want you to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty, so to speak. That’s because I hope to inspire you to consider what you will contribute to the Food Banks Canada Community Garden! Let’s dig in!

Our Community Garden illustrates Food Banks Canada’s gifts in action. Together, we help provide essential food today for men, women and children who are hungry. And we nourish the roots of social change to help prevent hunger tomorrow.

Your support today will make our garden grow—providing essential food for families who are hungry and investing in vital community projects. Your support will also enrich the soil, nourishing the roots of change in your community and across Canada, helping prevent hunger tomorrow.

What will you add to our Community Garden? You can pick as many symbolic items as you wish to make your contribution today.

Dig in! Get your hands dirty! Contribute to our Community Garden with your gift today. Your contribution will help relieve hunger today and nourish the roots of social change to prevent hunger tomorrow. Thank you!

Hunger Awareness Week in Canada Voice your support.

This week in Canada it is Hunger Awareness Week. Here is an email from the Canadian Food Bank which gives more information on the need to support your neighbors. So if you can support your local Food Bank. Thank you.

May 5, 2014

This Hunger Awareness Week - Voice Your Support This is a dedicated week each year where we work to raise public awareness of hunger in Canada.  Our goal is to eliminate the stigma associated with food bank use, and increase the understanding that many people have at some point in their lives needed a little extra help when misfortune has struck. That is why we encourage you to “Share your story. Voice your Support” by posting your stories and solutions on our story wall  Don’t know what to share?  Here are some examples… A story about how hunger has affected your community A short message about what you and your neighbours can do to help those in your community Post a photo about your experience at a food bank Need an incentive to tell your story?  How does $1,000 worth of food sound? Well to be clear, you won’t receive the $1,000 worth of food but the food bank of your choice might.  At the close of Hunger Awareness Week, Food Banks Canada will select one post from the wall, and donate the equivalent of $1,000 worth of food to the selected poster’s Canadian food bank of choice. So what are you waiting for?  Raise your voice and share your story today!  To get you started, here are a few inspiring stories that we’d like to share with you…

Food Bank support

Thank You for your support of your local Food Bank. In Canada through your support of Food Banks Canada, you've given a voice to the more than 830,000 Canadians who go hungry each and every month across our country. I would like to take a moment to say thank you. 

Your support helped make a difference in the lives of Canadians from British Columbia to Newfoundland and everywhere in between. Just look at what you helped achieve in 2013:

• Our Food Banks shared 19,259,846 pounds of safe quality food with over 500 food banks; 
• They conducted critical national research including HungerCount;
• They had a number of successful policy/legislative wins over the last year at the Federal level (such as the 2013 federal budget commitment to implement our HungerCount policy recommendation to invest $2 billion over the next 5 years on affordable housing) as well as at the provincial level (where the BC government has committed to implementing our Fresh Food Tax Credit);
• They conducted a successful member conference with over 105 participants from across Canada;
• They launched the Retail Food Program with three major retailers helping to guarantee more food and support directed to individuals and families in need by connecting retail businesses with local food banks;

Please continue to support your local Food Bank and I’d like to wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy new year. 

Dear Friends of SHARE Bear

Thank you so much for coming to SHARE Bear’s rescue! To date, we've received over $2,700 in donations towards our $10,000 goal! 

Please pass along this message to your friends and family and encourage them to help “Feed and Free SHARE Bear” by making their gift online here. You can also support our cause by joining us at Coquitlam Centre tomorrow!

To learn more about SHARE Bear’s capture watch this fun clip on YouTube! As always, all funds raised will go towards the SHARE Food Bank. If you would like to learn more about the people we serve, please read this article about one mother who relied on the Food Bank during a difficult point in her life.

Feed & Free SHARE Bear! There will be Coquitlam Centre giveaways, face painting, CKPM live on location, a barbecue courtesy of Phoenix Truck & Crane, and more!

When: Thursday, June 20th 12:00 – 6:00 pm
Where: Coquitlam Centre, North Plaza (near H&M)

Thank you again for all of your support and we hope to see you tomorrow!

Food Bank Fill Up

• 
  
  For those of you in the Tri-Cities area the Food Bank fill up will be at:
  
  
  Parking lot of PriceSmart Foods (at the corner of Pinetree and Lougheed Hwy in Coquitlam)
  
  
  If you are not in the Tri-cities I encourage you to support your local Food Bank and give generously, our Food Bank is not unique, at this time of year all Food Banks are down in their food supply. Help if you can!
  
  
  The food bank has just over twenty days of food left at this time, and with the start of school  the need for donations couldn’t be greater.
  
  
  Come on down to PriceSmart Foods and help us fill a semi-trailer with donations for the SHARE Food Bank! Bring some non-perishable food donations and enjoy a hotdog and some popcorn, too.
  
  
  Plus..Kelly Holmes of 93.7 JRfm will be doing live cuts at the event from 12-2pm!!
  
  
  Ways to support:
  
  
  1. Purchase a pre-packaged hamper inside PriceSmart Foods
  
  
  2. Host a food drive of your own! Collect food with your friends, families, colleagues, and bring down your donations!
  
  
  3. Simply come on down with your own cash and/or food donations.
  
  
  The most urgently needed items are:
  -           Rice
  -           Pasta and pasta sauce
  -           Canned meals (ravioli, beans etc.)
  -           Canned fruit
  -           Lipton Sidekicks, Hamburger Helpers, Shake & Bake, Kraft Dinner
  -           Juice
  -           Canned tomatoes
  -           Cereal
  -           Peanut Butter (medium size)
  
  
  4. SHARE is also recruiting volunteers for this event! An event like this could never be possible without the support of our volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Heather at 604-529-5107 or email heather.stacey@sharesociety.ca.
  
  
  The SHARE Food Bank Fill Up is a great opportunity to get involved. Come on down to drop off your donations, enjoy the festivities, and make a difference in the community!

SHARE Food Bank Fill UP

The Food Bank Fill Up is coming soon!  Come on down to PriceSmart Foods and help us fill a semi-trailer with food donations for the SHARE Food Bank.  SHARE Food Bank has just over twenty days of food left at this time, and with the start of school around the corner, the need for donations couldn’t be greater.

When: September 7, 2012

Time: 9am-6pm

Where: PriceSmart Foods – 2991 Lougheed Hwy, Coquitlam (corner of Pinetree Way & Lougheed Hwy)

Donations can be made by simply purchasing $10 or $18 pre-packaged hampers inside PriceSmart Foods. Or, just come on down with your own food and/or cash donations!  If you are not able to drop by, you can also make an online donation at www.sharesociety.ca

1. How you can Help…
2.  Tell your friend, families, colleagues about our event
3. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
4. Make a donation of food or funds
5.   Host a food drive this week

SHARE is also recruiting volunteers for this event.  We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who can help with a variety of tasking including:

1.          Greeting
2.          receiving  and weighing food donations
3.          loading the food bank trucks 
4.          setup and clean-up

If you’re interested in getting involved please contact Heather Stacey at 6004.529.5107 or by email heather.stacey@sharesoceity.ca

Thank you so much for supporting vulnerable children, individuals and families in the Tri-Cities!

Help your local Food Bank

My brother sent me this link so I thought I would share, please watch the video and support your local food bank

Howdy friends,
Hunger Awareness Week is coming up quickly. The link below provides an easy
way to help feed the hungry in our communities. View this and make sure to
forward the link!!
Watch this 1 minute video and $1 will get donated by Shaw Food Banks Canada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hkKndoXJdc&feature=youtu.be

　

Thanks for helping!

Thoughts on Dentists and Music

Just returned from the dentist where I had a filling which was leaking fixed. I have not had any dental work for about two years with any freezing so I as I type, my mouth or at least the left side of my mouth, my lips and my tongue are still frozen. It is an interesting sensation as the freezing starts to wear off and the tingling sensation creep into my consciousness. 

The Dentist is friendly, as is his assistant, I was in and out of there in about 20 minutes with a precaution not to eat for about an hour. I can do that, yesterday I went for blood tests and made the mistake of not going in the morning. I was required to fast for 10 hours before the appointment, but I was not able to get in until the late afternoon. The receptionist, when she calculated the time I had been fasting was surprised that I had fasted for 20 hours.

I talked about this before, I was moving on slow down time and it gave me pause to think about the people who have no choice in when they eat. We are very lucky in Canada but we forget sometimes how lucky we are, so if you can please continue to support your Local Food Bank. There are many of our neigbours and friends who use and need these services.

As I was sitting in the Dentists chair, the Dental Hygienist said, I think I was born in the wrong generation, I love my parents music--she was of course talking about my generations music. Our music touched our soul and still touches our children and our grandchildren soul. I think because the music of the boomers was trying to find out who we were and what we valued. The music did not just talk to the right or to the left, but reached us all.

Hunger Count 2010:

From the SHARE web site:
How does the Tri-cities compare to Canada?

On Tuesday November 1, 2011 Food Banks Canada released a compelling report documenting the use of Food Banks across Canada. We thought you would want to know how the Tri-cities community compares so we have put together the following for you.

Measure	Canada	Tri-cities
Increase in people receiving food bank support from 2008 (pre-recessionary) to 2011`	26%	30%
% of population using Food Bank	2.5%	4%
% of those receiving food were children and youth under 18	38%	47%
% who rent	63%	79%
% who own their home	7%	5%
Homeless	6%	4.4%
Income Assistance	52	32
Current or recent employment	18%	23%
Disability	13%	27%
No income	5%	7%
Pension	7%	10%
Student Loan	2%	1%

• Food Bank clients are eligible to come to the Food Bank once every two weeks. The only exception is for families with pregnant and nursing women or with children under one year. These families can come weekly for a hamper that is supplemented with fresh produce, eggs, cheese and dairy to give baby the best start.

2010/2011 Food Hamper Contents

Typical Hamper Content (average)	Small 1 person	Med 2-3 people	Large 4-5 people	Extra large 6+ people
No. of items/bag	10	14	18	22

SHARE Food Bank distributed 20,656 hampers in 2010~2011

Who is turning to food banks in Canada

There is no single, typical profile. The people helped include families with children, employed people whose wages are not sufficient to cover basic living essentials, individuals on social assistance, and Canadians living on a fixed income, including people with disabilities and seniors.
Consider these figures from HungerCount 2011:

• 93,000 people each month access a food bank for the first time
• 38% of those turning to food banks are children and youth
• 7% of adults helped are over age 65
• 10% of people assisted are Aboriginal
• 52% of households helped receive social assistance
• 18% have income from current or recent employment
• 13% receive disability-related income supports
• 35% of food banks ran out of food during the survey period
• 55% of food banks needed to cut back on the amount of food provided to each household