A drop in donations over the holiday season has the Food Bank of York Region (FBYR) facing the possibility of scaling back its programs that help alleviate food insecurity for York Region’s most vulnerable residents.
Donations to the campaign, which ran throughout last December, dropped almost 12 per cent over last year, according to an FBYR news release.
"This drop may affect FBYR’s operations, including its food distribution program that serves community partners across York Region," the FBYR stated.
Partners include food banks, shelters, schools, and Indigenous groups.
As well, FBYR is facing "a significant rent increase" in June, the food bank stated.
"This surge will make it difficult to expand and meet the growing food insecurity needs for residents across the region. If the trend continues, FBYR may be forced to scale down its operations, lessen the community partners it serves, and therefore feed less individuals."
“A 12 per cent drop in monetary donations is significant, especially in a high inflationary environment, as we’re all experiencing now,” said Alex Bilotta, chief executive officer of FBYR.
FBYR’s 2022 annual report highlights that 30,442 unique individuals were served across York Region. This number is predicted to increase come FBYR’s 2023 annual report, estimated to be released in May 2024. Given that store-purchased food prices rose 4.7 per cent year over year in December (Statistics Canada), the support of York Region’s community members proved especially vital during 2023’s holiday season campaign, he added.
“To meet the growing demands from both the supply side and demand side, we need to see a steady incremental increase in monetary donations to our food bank. I’m very concerned about the days ahead,” Bilotta said.
FBYR thanks those community members who supported FBYR during their most recent holiday campaign to raise funds. To further support, individuals can go online to donate.
