Edmonton’s Food Bank says it’s seen an unprecedented increase in new clients looking for help this spring and the need is not slowing down.
“We have been serving record numbers of people in 2024,” said Marjorie Bencz, executive director of Edmonton’s Food Bank.
“In May, we served over 43, 000 people through our hamper program and that does not include the people that are being served through our network of 380 different schools, churches, soup kitchens and shelters.”
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The organization is hoping to benefit from the upcoming Heritage Festival to stock shelves which are typically low during summer.
“We truly appreciate the community support that we have been receiving,” Bencz said.
“The challenge we’ve had is the number of requests for food services and the number of agencies we’re providing food for is outstripping what is coming in through donations.”
Last year, more than 30,000 kilograms of food was donated through the Heritage Festival campaign and more than $40,000.
The Heritage Festival runs from Aug. 3 to Aug. 5 and there will be multiple spots to donate to the food bank on site.
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