The demand for food provided by the Oilfields Food Bank dropped last year and is continuing to decline.
The non-profit organization handed out 315 food hampers that provided sustenance to 549 adults and 311 children in 2017, compared to 373 hampers the previous year. The amount of food distributed totaled 12,290 kg, valued at about $70,000.
Last year’s number puts hamper requests on par with 2015, which saw 310 hampers distributed, according to Glenn Chambers, Oilfields Food Bank president.
Chambers suspects the decrease is a combination of a recovering economy and weather.
“We had quite a mild summer last year so a lot of companies and organizations were hiring more people for summer employment,” he said. “It goes in tandem with job opportunities that are out there.”
In the first three months of this year, the need for food hampers declined further with a 19 per cent drop in January compared to 2017, 42 per cent drop in February and 35 per cent drop in March, said Chambers.
“We’ve had a longer winter so those who are doing snow removal and that type of work have had a longer season than in the past so there is more work out there,” he said.
A number that stood out in the data, according to Chambers, was 31 per cent of those needing hampers last year were single people without children.
“That’s significant because of the fact that there aren’t the jobs out there,” he said. “A lot of it’s young people trying to find their way in this world and there is not much opportunities out there for them right now. In the smaller towns, obviously, you don’t have as much industry and there is less opportunity.”
Chambers said he doesn’t know how it compares to previous years as the organization just recently began compiling data.
The number of food hampers requested last year averaged 26 a month – with the highest being 51 hampers in January – providing 549 adults and 311 children with food throughout the year.
The 311 hampers that were handed out in 2017 provided food for 56 individuals and families in Turner Valley, 55 in Black Diamond, seven in Longview, five in Millarville, four in the MD of Foothills and one each in Naptha and Priddis. Of those who utilized the service, 61 per cent were previous users and 39 per cent were new.
The decreased need, combined with consistent food donations, means the Oilfields Food Bank is in good shape, said Chambers.
“We have a good supply of food,” he said. “Our donations are pretty much static, they don’t change much. A bulk of our donations came in November and December, but as far as the food bank itself it’s in good financial condition.”
Chambers said 52 per cent of donations are private, 33 per cent are corporate and the remaining are anonymous.
Volunteers with the Oilfields Food Bank, which accounted for 1,669 hours last year, are working to make some improvements with its hampers, including increasing nutritional items like frozen fruits and vegetables, said Chambers.
Volunteers have applicants check off a list of food items they prefer and suggest some others.
“We don’t want to supply food they’re not going to eat,” he said.
Among the priorities for the hampers are sundry items like soap, laundry detergent and dish soap, Chambers said.
“We treat sundry items as being as important as the food we provide them,” he said.
The Oilfields Food Bank operates in the basement of the United Church in the Valley in Turner Valley and is open Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
