Not surprisingly, there are more people in need of their services.
The number of people accessing the Humboldt and District Food Bank (HDFB) rose by 20 per cent in 2010, and in 2011, it is estimated that number has risen by another 10 per cent since January.
Currently, the HDFB helps between 60 to 70 families every month, which represents approximately 170 people. Last month, noted Laura Willison, a director on the HDFB board, 85 of those 170 people were children under the age of 18.
"That's what's troubling," Willison said. "To see the increase of kids."
More families with children, and larger families are coming in, needing assistance, Willison noted.
Those who access the HDFB for help are struggling to make ends meet for a variety of reasons.
"Some are out of work. Some have lost their job. For some, there's just not enough paycheque left (to buy food)," Willison said.
The cost of living has increased exponentially in Humboldt in the past few years, and the price of groceries has also gone up.
"I think it's a struggle out there for a lot of people," she said.
"Sometimes a boom in a community does not help everyone."
The HDFB actually doesn't have many seniors accessing their program, she added. Hopefully, it's because they are not in need.
"We hope it isn't because they are embarrassed or struggling and don't know we exist," she said. "We want to open ourselves up to anyone in need."
Sometimes those who need to access the food bank also have transportation issues. Willison noted that a local taxi service will give free rides home for those who need it, to help people get their food home.
"That's his donation (to the HDFB)," Willison said of the taxi driver.
The rides are arranged by the HDFB volunteers, she added.
The HDFB has about 20 dedicated volunteers who help the bank run smoothly.
"They have a heart for the underprivileged in the community. They are a very dedicated group of people," Willison said.
Food from the HDFB is distributed through hampers, which volunteers fill following the Canada Food Guide. Perishable and non-perishable food items are included. There are three different sizes of hampers, depending on the size of family who is receiving it.
While much of the non-perishable food items are donated, the HDFB buys the nonperishable items for the hampers, including eggs, milk, bread, potatoes and meat.
On average, the bank buys about 40 lbs of potatoes a week, about 18 two-litre bottles of milk, and about 15 dozen eggs to fill the hampers.
Hamburger is the meat most often purchased to hand out in the hampers, because it is so versatile.
"Sometimes we get other meat donations - turkeys and hams - that's always a special treat, when people come in and donate that sort of thing," Willison said.
The HDFB also provides school lunches for three days a month for each child in the family. They get a fruit cup, juice, a granola bar and cheese and crackers.
People are encouraged to access the food bank just once a month, though there are circumstances, Willison said, when people have been experiencing very tough times, where they have made exceptions.
Their worry is that, if they give food to a family more than once a month, they would soon run out.
They have researched this protocol, Willison added, and many other food banks around the province have the same guidelines for size of hampers, usage, etc.
The HDFB is a member of both the Saskatchewan and Canadian Food Bank Associations, Willison explained. Sometimes, due to that association, they are recipients of shared donations, based on their statistics.
"That's why it's important to keep statistics of every month of our usage," Willison said, so they can access these shared donations. It's extra work for the volunteers, but worth it, they feel.
The support the HDFB gets from the community is tremendous.
There are people and organizations which donate to the food bank regularly, local businesses that hold events to support the HDFB, like barbecues, concerts in the park, or food drives.
The Humboldt Good Neighbour Store is a huge supporter of the HDFB, as are all the local and district schools and churches.
It is great when young people get involved in helping those in need, Willison indicated, and there are many of those in the Humboldt area who have done so.
Last year, Three Lakes School in Middle Lake donated over 1,000 food items raised during a Christmas campaign, and students from St. Dominic School come every Tuesday to help stock shelves.
"They have a real feeling of satisfaction," Willison said of the students helping the food bank.
Some young entrepreneurs donated the proceeds from a lemonade sale to the HDFB, and other young children have encouraged their friends to bring food for the food bank to their birthday parties instead of gifts.
All of this is done with an eye towards educating youth.
"The food bank helps people in need, but it is also there to help people really understand the need out there," Willison noted.
The HDFB is involved with the newly-formed Humboldt Soup Kitchen, which offers hot meals to anyone in need on Thursday evenings at the Seniors' Hall.
"We're giving them some bread and soup every week," Willison said. "And we put notices in the hampers, to let people know it's there for them."
