By Marelle Reid

Mission Record

As wallets grow thinner during the recession, so do supplies for the poor at food banks across the country.

More and more hungry families have been asking for help while donations have decreased at St. Joseph's Food Bank.

Volunteer committee chair Patrick Carey said he recently made up 10 emergency hampers in less than a week.

"We are running out of funds," he said. "It's a sad situation."

To counter this problem of declining donations, St. Joseph's is promoting a $2 coupon program at participating grocery stores.

The coupon program is a Food Banks Canada (FBC) initiative in cooperation with Real Canadian Superstore, Save-On-Foods and Canada Safeway.

When shoppers add the coupons to their grocery bills at these stores in Mission, the $2 donation goes towards a credit for the local food bank to restock its supplies.

Volunteers were at Safeway to hand out pamphlets to help raise awareness of the program Sept. 18, and will continue to visit local stores this month.

The number of people using food banks in Canada has increased by six per cent between 1997 and 2008, according to a recent report from FCB. In 2008 more than 700,000 people received food from a food bank in Canada.

Of these, FBC reports 37 per cent were children, and almost 15 per cent were working but did not earn enough to make ends meet.

St. Joseph's food bank is the only officially registered food bank in Mission, which serves 813 registered individuals in the community.

The organization is a non-profit charity run by approximately 30 volunteers.

Donations can be made through the $2 coupon initiative or directly to St. Joseph's Food Bank, 32550 Seventh Ave.

Volunteers never canvass door-to-door for donations, Carey said, but will be at Superstore Sept. 25-26 to promote the program.