Saskatoon Food Bank demand up 25 per cent in 2024 [Video]

The Christmas season is one of the busiest times of the year for the Saskatoon Food Bank, as donations pour in from the community. However, this year’s demand underscores a growing crisis.

As 2024 comes to a close, the food bank has reported a staggering 25 per cent increase in the use of its services over the past year.

“I was looking at the numbers from last October to this October. We’ve seen a 25 per cent increase in usage through the food bank program,” Saskatoon Food Bank executive director Laurie O’Connor said . “That’s quite stark, but we’ve been seeing a gradual increase over the last 24 months.”

The report also highlights that 43 per cent of the people relying on the food bank are children, reflecting Saskatoon’s high child poverty rate.

“We’re seeing around 23,000 people a month, and of that, about 43 per cent are children,” said …