We anticipate an increase of at least 25% to 50% in the number of food bank users as a result of the COVID-19 State of Emergency. While the number of users will increase, the amount of food donated and the number of volunteers available will decrease as people choose to stockpile food and follow provincial government’s direction to stay home.

Currently, most of our food banks have a 10-14 day supply, with food donations steeply dropping off. Over 2,000 volunteer hours scheduled over the next month have been cancelled across the province, putting considerable strain on remaining staff and requiring extra resources to manage logistics.

Food Banks of Saskatchewan are putting plans into place to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on their health and well-being. Right now, the food banks need significant monetary donations for:

1. Food (bulk purchasing power on urgently needed items)

2. Pop-up satellite locations to respect social distancing

3. To-go boxes for quick food hamper pick-ups

4. Staffing to coordinate efforts

The first phase of the Crisis Response Fund will seek to raise $6 million to support the additional costs FBS will face in the coming months. This will be distributed across Saskatchewan to all 32 food banks. It is still too early to fully gauge the effects of this situation, and the cost may be higher than $6 million depending on the increase in users and the length of the crisis.

It’s been proven time after time, the people of Saskatchewan look after one another. We need your help now more than ever to keep Saskatchewan strong. You can help feed your neighbours and ensure no one is hungry during these difficult times. Please donate today.