Food banks serve an increasingly prevalent need in our communities and should be supported whenever one has a little extra in their cupboard or wallet.

But there are some in our community who worry that people less in need than others may be taking advantage of area food banks’ services. We believe that if someone arrives at a food bank asking for help, they clearly need it. After all, who in our society honestly relishes the idea of asking for help from a charitable organization?

It may be hard for people with solid jobs and no trouble paying their bills and putting food on the table each month to realize there are people in Greater Victoria who struggle to pay the rent and feed their families. When faced with covering one or the other, the prospect of being tossed onto the street will lose every time to buying less groceries.

Current figures show that more working families — those with one or two adults holding down regular jobs — are getting help from food banks these days. That’s a clear sign those people’s wages aren’t keeping up with inflation.

Some companies ensure their employees receive at least a cost-of-living increase in their pay, but for many small businesses, covering even that amount has been a stretch.

Studies have shown that in a family of four with two children, both adults must earn $16.39 an hour — equating to take home pay of about $52,000 a year — for the household to be considered as earning a living wage in Victoria.

The economic crisis threatening the long-term viability of small to medium-sized businesses — it’s already being seen locally in the form of layoffs — will no doubt see further increases in the frequency of food bank use by working parents or families where the total income has dropped or stagnated.

We must realize that the issue of poverty is not limited to the homeless and the marginalized. As the sense of Christmas spirit comes upon us, let’s not lose sight of the fact that many in our communities need help with basic needs.