This year during Hunger Awareness Week (Sept. 21 to 25), the Salvation Army will be interrupting our fascination with food to instead bring focus to hunger.
Canadians are obsessed with talking about the food we’re cooking and the meals we’re having. We discuss the restaurants we’re going to or want to visit with wild excitement. We photograph our food and share it on social media channels. Trending hashtags like #foodie, #nomnomnom and #yummy are common in our food-crazed lives.
Yet, as the foodie movement continues to gain momentum, so too does the usage of food banks in this country, which has increased by 25 per cent over the last seven years.
Since the recession in 2008, Food Banks Canada reports nearly 850,000 Canadians* – 37 per cent of which are children – turn to food banks each and every month. In Nelson the rise in need is represented by an increase of 5% in those turning to The Salvation Army Food Bank for support, with more than 134 individuals being assisted this past month.
“Hunger is an issue many Canadians are not comfortable talking about,” says David Sprague, the Nelson Salvation Army food bank coordinator.
“We are going to interrupt the food conversation so that the voice of hunger can be considered. Let’s give hunger a chance to be heard as loudly as the foodie movement this Hunger Awareness Week.”
Nelson residents are invited to participate in local events at restaurants, businesses and event venues, which are helping Salvation Army interrupt the food conversation this Hunger Awareness Week. So far two local businesses are partnering in the event: Nelson Ford is providing a vehicle for a Fill a Truck event sponsored by Save-On-Foods.
“Our local food bank is grateful for all the contributions from businesses and concern citizens in our community,” Sprague said.
“We are grateful for all the efforts that help us meet the needs of the many that access our services. Last year we supplied 1,717 food hampers in our community. We have had an increase in the past six months that will bring our numbers this year five to 10 per cent higher than last year.”