‘We do not want to close:’ Moose Jaw food bank in need of help.

Desperate times call for desperate measures at the Moose Jaw and District Food Bank.

To prevent closing its doors for good, the food bank said it’s reducing its monthly offerings from two hampers to one.

Jason Moore with the Food Bank says that its number of clients has doubled over the past two years — going from serving 400 households per month to 800. Although donations have increased they have not kept up with the surge in demand.

Moore called this a “dire reality” at a media event on Thursday.

“We’ve already had clients reaching out to us that are nervous about what’s going to happen,” Moore said.

“We are doing our best. We do not want to close the doors. It is not something that we’re even considering at this moment.”

Moore said the food bank needs to raise about $150,000 to sustain itself until Oct. 31, which is when its annual Better Together food drive is held.

Despite the dire situation, Moore remains hopeful that the target will be reached.

In an open letter posted Wednesday on social media, Moore called on all levels of government for support.

The open letter also stated that 40 per cent of the food bank’s clients were children.

Moore said the food bank’s warehouse currently has two to three weeks of stock left based on the current rate it’s handing food out.

Mikayla Dinnell is a family support worker who says she works with families that rely heavily on donations from the Moose Jaw and District Food Bank.

Dinnell said the food bank is incredibly vital as it helps people stay sober and ensure they can take care of their kids.

She said it’s a bit disheartening to know how many children need service at the food bank.

“It’s been really tough times for everybody since COVID, I think,” she said.

“I think that the need has been a lot higher since then. So obviously, I am hoping that as a community, we can gather some more donations so that kids are in a better place.”

NDP MLA Meara Conway was at the food bank on behalf of the Sask. NDP to amplify the food bank’s calls for immediate action. Conway said the increased usage of the food bank is a reflection of the policy failures of the provincial government.

“What is so important is that we see some action at the provincial government level because to date we have seen none,” she said.

“We have a premier who frankly, crows about Saskatchewan’s economic prosperity, talks about how Saskatchewan people have basically never had it so good at a time when we’re seeing this kind of unprecedented growth at the Moose Jaw food bank.

“He brags about feeding the world and people are literally going hungry, there’s a real disconnect there.”

Conway pointed to the provincial gas tax, Saskatchewan’s nation-low minimum wage and the Saskatchewan Income Support program (SIS) as factors that are driving the increase in demand at food banks.

“The Ministry of Social Services values the work food banks do to help individuals in their communities. The ministry continues to have conversations with Food Banks of Saskatchewan about the needs they are seeing across Saskatchewan, and we look forward to having more to say on this front in the coming days,” read a statement emailed to 980 CJME on Thursday.

Moore said the food bank also has plans to shift from a hamper model to a shopping model in October, a move that will increase dignity for clients and reduce food waste.

The Moose Jaw and District Food Bank says 40 per cent of its clients are children. (Daniel Reech/980 CJME)