While we could all use a taste of the festive season during the summer, those working to keep food bank shelves stocked are more than a little wistful.
"These are the times when we pray for a Christmas in July," said Salvation Army Capt. Neil Wilkinson.
Although they haven't run out of food, this is the time of year when donations to the food bank are at their lowest and the organization has to begin using cash to keep the shelves stocked.
"The challenge is for the community to understand hunger knows no season," Wilkinson said.
Typically, the food bank boom happens around holidays, such as Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, leaving the warmer months in between with less to draw on.
As a member of the B.C. Food Bank Association, the Salvation Army is the primary food bank for the area, which clients can access once every 30 days. However, they also have to operate their own auxiliary food cupboard to meet the needs of individuals on an emergency basis.
"That's all contingent on supplies," explained Wilkinson. "If we don't have anything on the shelves, we can't give anything away."
When food bank donations run low, then money collected by the Salvation Army, though things like their Christmas Kettle campaign, go towards purchasing food for the community shelves.
"Essentially, we're using the Salvation Army resources to keep the community food bank going," he said, emphasizing they were happy to do so.
Downtown at the Native Friendship Centre it's a different distribution system, but the need is the same at the Emergency Resources Program.
With the highest number of clients coming to the cupboard between Christmas Day and March and then a spring lull, the numbers begin to ramp up again in the summer, explained Emergency Resources Coordinator Emma Falkner.
"We're giving out about 250 hampers a month right now," she said.
With funding from the B.C. Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch as well as charitable contributions - about $10,000 coming from Friendship Centre staff - wholesale groceries are purchased and bundled into hampers for distribution.
Clients can receive up to six hampers per household per year and a Christmas hamper.
"Every community association was affected by cuts to Gaming," Falkner said. "We do feel the crunch from that."
This year, funds were also supplemented by spring fundraising and food drives and donations from corporate sponsors.
Though new to the area, the community church pastor said he is already aware of the level of generosity in the community.
"I know this community is behind the Salvation Army and the Salvation Army food bank is able to maximize that support to make a great thing absolutely wonderful," Wilkinson said. "We have the privilege of being stewards of the community's resources."
