The Hopedale food bank is running dry. Calls for donations are growing with demand

As the holiday season nears, accessing food is becoming a growing problem in Labrador, particularly in coastal communities.

A food bank in Hopedale says the need for food is greater than ever. 

According to Marjorie Flowers, the angajukKâk of Hopedale, the community food bank at town hall is starting to look empty. 

"Time is really hard for many of our residents because the food is getting so expensive," she said, adding that some residents are having to choose between eating or heating their homes. 

The food bank in Hopedale accepts all sorts of food, including dry goods and "country" or "wild foods," like moose and caribou, for the community freezer. 

Flowers says the freezer is very important because residents are used to having wild foods, and some people aren't able to hunt. 

She said the community freezer had 860 visits in 2023. In 2024, the number has risen to 1,966.

The most vulnerable community members are people on low income, unemployed and seniors, said Flowers. 

She says the food bank is starting to rely more on community members to hunt for donations because it has been hard to collect other types of donations or find new sources of funding. 

"We're very short-staffed, and our workload is increased. So it's hard for us to actually look for funding for the food bank," Flowers said. "We rely totally on our residents and the businesses to donate food to us."

The food bank used to get funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada through support of Food First N.L. 

Flowers said that allowed them to have a worker dedicated to looking after the food bank and community freezer, but the money has since run out. 

Now, the food bank is supported by the town hall's office administrator, the radio announcer or Flowers herself. 

Heading into the holiday season, Flowers says the food bank is looking for more dry goods and staples like sugar, milk, coffee, tea, butter, or dry goods to make up meals. 

"That would be my greatest wish for this holiday season is to get more donations to the food bank so we can get keep it stocked year-round for our people to access when they need it," said Flowers.

Rising cost of living in southern Labrador

The NunatuKavut Community Council's food security co-ordinator says there's also a strong need for more food in southern Labrador. 

Roxanne Notley says high grocery prices are becoming a growing concern for people heading into the winter. 

"It's a real challenge for community members. It's a real challenge for businesses," said Notley. 

During the holidays, those price tags have added stress for people looking to celebrate. 

"You love to see people, but I know it's got to be a financial strain and burden for lots," said Notley. 

She said people can call the food security office if they need food, and they can also be added to an emergency food list. 

"We know because people are struggling, but they're very shy in coming forward," said Notley, "It's confidential. No one's going to know that you're in need."

Going into the holiday season, Notley is encouraging people to consider sharing food with fellow community members. 

"And sometimes showing up with food, something that can be easily shared, is so much more rewarding than a gift," she said. 

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