If you need food and can't get to a food bank, your options are limited in N.L.

CBC Newfoundland and Labrador has launched its annual campaign in support of local food banks ahead of Feed N.L. Day on Dec. 15. Visit cbc.ca/bekind for more information and help make the holidays brighter for those in need.

Before the doors open at the Bridges to Hope food bank in downtown St. John's, there is already a line of people waiting to collect food hampers.

But there is another line of people who are unseen and unserved — those who aren't able to get to the food bank to collect food.

Jody Williams, Bridges to Hope's executive director, says the food bank serves 1,200 people each month, 300 of whom are children. However, when he receives calls from people asking for food who are unable to come in person, Williams says there isn't much the food bank can do to help them.

He said the food bank has a partnership with the Connections for Seniors organization, which provides deliveries for people over 55. Everyone else either has to ask a family member or a social worker, or in some cases, according to Williams, call their MHA.

Food bank operators throughout the St. John's area told CBC News there isn't an official food delivery service for people under the age of 55.

"We don't have the capacity to do deliveries," Williams said.

"But what we are offering is we'll supply the hampers. We just need someone to come in and do the deliveries."

Until March 31, there was a delivery service called the Local Wellness Collective. It was run by volunteers and funded by the provincial government. The volunteers would use their own cars and collaborate with food banks in and around St. John's.

Jennifer Collins, the organization's development director, says she and her group of volunteers created the collective in late 2020 in response to the need for this service, which became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But in March, the funding ended.

"We did it just kind of as we went. Every day was exciting and terrifying at the same time because we were drastically dealing with such an influx in need," Collins said.

"We have a greater need now. It's no longer about COVID, right? We're actually worse off than we were." 

Over its 2½ years, said Collins, the organization served at least 8,000 people who needed food but, due to various circumstances, were unable to reach the nearest food bank.

"It's people who don't have a family network. There's individuals who have just had surgeries who need help," she said.

"There's [people with] mental health and addictions issues that they can't leave their home. They may live close enough to walk but they can't leave their home."

Since March, Collins has been advocating for more money to get the program back up and running. In mid-November, she received a response from the government.

The answer — the Local Wellness Collective will not be getting funding.

"We donate this money from our paycheques every single month, every single time we're paid, and there should not be people in our community suffering," Collins said.

"We're just real people trying to help other people and I have no idea why it's not funded.… It's hard. It's a lot of weight on your shoulders too, and we all should be feeling it."

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