Windsor-Essex food banks’ demand expected rise through winter

Windsor-Essex food banks’ demand expected rise through winter

WINDSOR, ONT. —
Nearly a month has passed since gift-giving season and food banks are once again in demand, with the need expected to increase.

The conveyor belt was busy Wednesday at the Unemployed Help Centre where a steady stream of people came to collect a box with some necessities.

“Numbers are still increasing, people are still laid off,” UHC food bank coordinator Lynda Davidson told CTV News.

Davidson said she has been seeing new people, faces and tears on a regular basis.

“People don’t want to come to a food bank, people don’t want to ask but we’re in the time when we need to ask for help,” she said.

Staff at the Kids First Food Bank said 2020 proved to them that there’s no discrimination when it comes to hunger.

“I think there’s a misconception that there’s a certain type of people that utilize food banks but its everybody,” Danielle Atogwe, program coordinator at Kids First Food Bank, said. 

She said donations tend to drop this time of year now the holiday season has passed.

“Your next-door neighbour who you say good morning to and walk by might utilize a food bank and you don’t know that they need that service,” Atogwe said.

She said the organization is fortunate to still be utilizing donations from the June 27th miracle, when 2 million lbs. of goods were gathered across the region and delivered to various food banks.

“It’s a great problem to have the food and to be able to help and agencies to be able to take that on,” Atogwe said.

Redeployed city staff are still helping the UHC and WFCU centre staff distribute the food that jam-packed the area this past summer. 

At the same time, Workforce Windsor-Essex launched a new online tool to help job seekers navigate the way of the world in these trying times.

“New strategies that have never been needed before especially for things like virtually job interviews, how to start a career from a remote position,” said manager of projects and research Tashlyn Teskey. “Even how to explain an employment gap on your resume.”

The online tool and its resources is available on the Workforce Windsor-Essex website.

Published at Thu, 21 Jan 2021 02:00:00 +0000