AMHERST, N.S. – The Amherst Food Bank needs your help more than ever.
“We are desperate for food,” said chairperson Charlotte Ross of the Amherst Food Assistance Network.
She says the situation has never been this bad.
“This is uncommon,” said Ross. “It’s been a very difficult summer with very little items being brought in to help us, so we are buying the majority of our food.”
Ross believes high grocery prices play a role in lack of donations.
“People aren’t able to give like they did in the past,” said Ross. “Everything is very expensive.”
Christine Davis, food facilitator at the food bank, says it’s a sign of the times.
“People who are donating are having a harder time themselves,” said Davis, who has worked at the food bank since Oct. of 2010.
She says the food they do have doesn’t last like it used too.
“I’ll come in here some mornings and I look around and I go ‘wow’ because there’s a lot of shelves to fill because it’s super busy,” said Davis. “There’s things we’re putting out, like Kraft Dinner, and it will be gone in one day.”
Ross says September was extremely busy because kids are going back to school.
“We’re close to 300 families a month, so you’re looking at 800 mouths to feed each month,” said Ross. “That’s a lot of mouths.”
Items they are in desperate need of include baby food.
“Baby food is down to, basically, nothing,” said Davis. “There’s times we have to tell people we don’t have any baby food.”
People often bring food in from their garden as well, but not like before.
“We used to get a lot of potatoes but it seems the older generation isn’t planting as much as they used to. The farmers used plant enough for the whole neighborhood,” said Davis.
Families pick up food at the food bank Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
Ross and Davis says the people of Amherst have always been very generous, and thanks them for their donations.
People can drop food off at the Amherst Food Assistance Network at 5 King Street.
Guidelines from Feed Nova Scotia specify expiry dates cannot exceed one year after the date on the can.
“For example, if the date on the can says Sept. 2018, we can use it until Aug. 31, 2019,” said Ross.
People can also make monetary donations to the food bank at the post office in Amherst at PO Box 45, postal code B4H-3Y6. A receipt will be given for income tax.
There are also food boxes where food can be dropped off at Sobey’s, the Super Store, and the Credit Union.
For more information call Charlotte Ross at 902-664-8283, or call the Food Bank at 902-661-0677.
Items needed at the Amherst Food Bank include:
Baby food
Peanut butter and jam
Apple and orange juice
Instant coffee
Canned meat
Canned Stew
Canned Pasta
Sugar
Kraft Dinner
Soda crackers
Mayonnaise
Potatoes
Toiletries
Tooth paste
Tooth brushes
Razors