BARRHEAD - Barrhead's vulnerable populations are feeling the increasing stress largely brought about by economic uncertainty and rising living costs of everything from utilities and rent to groceries.
That is what Barrhead and District Family Support Community Services (FCSS) community services program coordinator Savannah Belyk told councillors during their April 1 meeting.
Belyk and FCSS executive director Karen Pronishen were at the meeting to give the organization's quarterly update to council.
Belyk said people often don't understand what role she and her department has in FCSS.
"The easiest way I can describe my position is that I lead what I call the department of vulnerable populations, focussing on low-income individuals, people struggling with financial and housing instability, including people who are homeless, seniors experiencing loneliness or limited access to resources, newcomers to the community including immigrants and refugees," she said.
However, the food bank is one of her department's most important roles.
Currently, the organization is in the middle of a county-wide food drive. Until April 10, area residents can drop off non-perishable food items as well as toiletries such as toilet paper, soap, and toothpaste to the County of Barrhead municipal office along with the Campsie Store, Lac La Nonne Community Store and the Neerlandia Co-op food store.
This followed a town-wide food drive in the Town of Barrhead, where volunteers picked up grocery bags full of food bank donations from residences on April 4. The bags were distributed to households two days earlier.
Belyk said the timing of the drives is exceptionally fortuitous as the number of people using the food bank continues to rise.
She said in 2024, the food bank had 2,426 visits from 263 different clients.
Belyk added that the food bank also gave out 285 snack bags through its After the Bell program, which helps parents provide lunches to their children in the summer when they don't have access to school lunch programs.
"Usage is definitely increasing. More and more people are struggling financially because of the rising prices. It has been tough on them," Belyk said.
To help serve food bank clients better and expand its fundraising ability, getting access to additional grants, Belyk said, FCSS is working at getting its accreditation with Food Banks Canada.
She added that economic hardship translates into more than just an increase in food bank visits.
"More and more clients are coming in with complex needs," Belyk said.
In addition to FCSS' regular programming, such as senior home care, its new transportation initiative and mental health and domestic violence programming, an increasing number of individuals are walking through its doors in "crisis."
"Those numbers have never been higher," she said. "Last year alone, my team worked with 566 people in crisis, helping them get the services they need."
Nor is the Barrhead FCSS alone. Belyk said rural FCSS organizations across the province are receiving far more requests for assistance than they've ever seen before.
"A lot more of them are people with more complex issues who are experiencing mental health, addictions, and people undergoing major financial stress," she said, adding it is stretching the organization's resources. "Especially with our growing population."
Deputy reeve Marvin Schatz asked if there was a screening process for people to access the food bank.
"I keep hearing of rumours of people using the food bank who are being denied and are saying they will have to dip into their vacation fund or other savings to feed their families," he said.
Belyk said yes, adding that they use a province-wide online database that food banks use.
"With that, we go through things like accommodation, employment or whether a client is on financial assistance, and we can build a plan that will best fill their needs based on all the pieces," she said. "How can we help you with the food bank while we go through all these other steps to help wean them off the system, by perhaps changing the way you are spending and doing things and into a healthy-living societal piece."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
