Hamilton food bank users say without Good Shepherd program, cupboards would be empty every month

The Good Shepherd food bank is bustling Wednesday afternoon with dozens of residents waiting their turn to fill their carts with fresh fruit and vegetables, soup and cereal, and they canstop by the special holiday aisles to pick out gifts for loved ones.

Reyna Rodriguez said she's been using the emergency service for the last four months. She was at the Venture Centre on Cannon Street with her daughter Viviana, who helped translate.

If they didn't go to the food bank, "we wouldn't have food," Viviana said.

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Rodriguez lost her full-time job during the pandemic and now works part time hours, earning minimum wage and supporting her husband and two children.

"There's nothing left when she pays rent and the bills and everything," said Viviana.

More demand than ever for food banks

Food banks across the city, and province, are facing unprecedented demand as residents face unaffordable housing prices, inflation and unstable employment, according to a recent Feed Ontario report.

Hamilton Food Share has reported the largest single-year increase of households accessing food banks in the city up 40percentbetween March 2022 and 2023. It distributes food and donations to 23 programs, including Good Shepherd.

Mike Troskot oversees the charity's emergency food program at the Venture Centre and said the demand is at an "all time high" and the program has served about 30,000 households so far this year.

About 3,800 families will access the Christmas marketplace program that provides presents and the staples for cooking a traditional holiday meal on top of the regular food offerings, Troskot said.

Volunteers make the program possible, he said.

Noah Fralick is one of them. He said he got involved with Good Shepherd a few years ago out of frustration for the poverty some Hamiltonians experience.

"I've learned a lot about the scale of food insecurity it's a massive issue I think about often here," he said. "We shouldn't be in this situation."

He said the federal and provincial governments should be tackling the problem, rather than relying on charitable organizations like Good Shepherd to fill the need.

Marsha Walker agrees. She said she cares for her husband who is bedridden and has relied on Good Shepherd's food bank for four years. They rely on disability support and after rent and bills have $75 left over for food a month.

"It's come to the point of paying rent or buying food, and that's the sad thing," Walker said.

Is the cost of living impacting you this holiday season?Email us:hamilton@cbc.ca