About 75% of users during pandemic are first-timers at food bank, says Charlottetown Salvation Army

The Salvation Army in Charlottetown says it's noticing approximately75 per cent of the food bank's clients during the COVID-19 pandemic are newusers.

At first the demand for food was down, said community and family services officerMiriam Leslie, but with many new faces and a new delivery service, numbers are back up.

"A lot, like I say, are people that it's been really hard and humbling for them to ask, but we're so grateful that they did it because that's exactly why we're here," Leslie said.

"We know it's so hard for people to ask that have never had to before."

The food bank is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. for anyone wishing to drop in. Typically clients can wait inside, but Leslie saidthat hasn't been possible while maintaining physical distancing, and there is some legitimate fear among clients about leavinghome.

"We've been fortunate because the weather has been fairly decent, but normally people would be able to wait inside and we just can't offer that right now," she said.

"We only let one person in at a time and I think just anxiety around, you know, social distancing and lining up outside."

Delivery service

As a solution, the food bank has also started to deliver. Leslie said they are doing about 15 deliveries eachweek and they expect that to increase.

She said she is simultaneously shockedand unsurprisedby the amount of new faces coming through the door.

"It is anxious times and you know, it's just easier to have to make one less trip to the grocery store and it's one less bill," she said

"[We] just encourage them and just kind of give a smile and listen, because there's a lot of stories. When people call in, they need to talk. They're really lonely because they don't have people to talk to right now."

Officials with the Salvation Army food bank in Summerside said they have seen an eight to 10 per cent increase in demand, with a five to eight per cent increase in new clients.

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