Food banks seeing more seniors as prices continue to climb

Kim Cummins, the Program Director at the Shelbourne Community Kitchen in Saanich, is among many witnessing an alarming trend.

Kim Cummins, the program director at the Shelbourne Community Kitchen in Saanich, is among many witnessing an alarming trend.

“We’ve definitely had a lot of new seniors coming and registering for the first time,” said Cummins.

Last year, the small food bank registered 280 new clients.

“19 per cent of them were seniors,” said Cummins. Those on a fixed income, trying to survive as the cost of almost everything goes up.

The program director says one story in particular has stuck with her, from a senior who visited the food bank for the first time a few weeks back.

“She let me know that she had to sacrifice two of the medications that she normally takes, just to be able to pay for her fixed expenses,” said Cummins.

The Mustard Seed says it too has seen an increase in seniors coming to its food bank in order to make ends meet.