Revelstoke Food Bank seeking monetary donations this holiday season

As need continues to increase, Community Connections Revelstoke Society (CCRS) is working to combat food insecurity with an end-of-the-year fundraising goal of $150,000.

“During the holiday period we generally receive $75k in community donations,” CCRS announced in a press release and on socials. “But this year we need to double this.”

The food bank’s current financial need means that other seasonal traditions are on hold.

“We are prioritizing food support going into the holiday season for our community members in need,” CCRS explained. “With this shift, we will not be offering the gift portion of the Holiday Program. Instead we are asking the community of Revelstoke to focus their holiday giving on food or monetary donations.”

The call for donations comes at a time when the rising cost of living is bringing more clients to the food bank, while various funding streams are drying up, CCRS told Revelstoke Mountaineer.

“Funding that was present pre-COVID has not returned and COVID specific emergency funding has ended as well,” Hannah Whitney, CCRS’ community food and outreach coordinator explained. “It’s kind of left us in this place of not really much funding to support the program to go around.”

Fewer funds contributed to a change in hours for the CCRS Food Bank in November, limiting access from three days to two for the foreseeable future. While Whitney notes the collective hours per week was only reduced by one, that loss of a day has made access even harder for some clients.

How does the Community Connections Revelstoke Society Food Bank work? 

CCRS’ Food Bank operates on a shopping model, allowing clients to select what they need for their situation, instead of previous methods where hampers were prepackaged. While clients can provide as much information about their needs during an initial registration process, CCRS does not require clients to fall below specific income thresholds to access the food bank.

“We try to provide the same experience and dignity of going to a supermarket and being able to choose your own items,” Whitney explained. This model is growing across the country as Food Banks BC and Food Banks Canada strive to provide dignity for those experiencing food insecurity. 

Those accessing the food bank and other resources at the society are often working core positions in Revelstoke, and Whitney said CCRS supports clients by helping fill gaps in their food budget, as opposed to entirely filling a client’s food need

“A variety of reasons might have someone coming to the food bank, whether that one time, once a month or whenever we’re open,” Whitney said, explaining clients can use the services for short-term support or long-term aid. 

Who is experiencing food insecurity? 

Low income workers are one of the fastest growing groups vulnerable to food insecurity Whitney explained, adding they are a growing population using food banks. 

That growing client population saw CCRS register over 400 new clients in 2023. While usage numbers are still being tallied, Whitney is certain CCRS will surpass the 7,500 times the food bank was accessed in 2022.

“People have expressed that it is getting harder to feed themselves and live within their needs.”

Revelstoke is one of many municipalities in B.C. this year that saw an increase in living wage, which is the amount generally needed to cover living expenses.

“That’s representative of the widening poverty gap in town,” Whitney noted. “The people accessing the food bank help to make this town what it is. People who work those low-income jobs, people who have lived here for many years, who make the community a welcoming and safe place.”

How to donate to the Revelstoke Food Bank

To reach their $150,000 goal, CCRS has set up various ways folks can financially donate to the Revelstoke Food Bank, including a virtual food drive, dropping off donations at the 2nd Street main office or by eTransfer to [email protected].Community members planning to attend the Canada Pacific holiday train celebration Friday, Dec. 15 will also have a chance to purchase hot dogs on site with all proceeds going to the food bank. It’s one more community moment Whitney says highlights the core of CCRS’ mission.

“We all need each other in this community.”