Metro Vancouver families struggle with food costs

A Vancouver church has a thousand families signed up for its food hamper program as many organizations expand their own initiatives to meet growing need.

Demand for programs like the one offered by the CityReach Care Society continues to grow, with many British Columbians struggling to keep up with the high cost of living.

“The grocery stores, they give us this food and we hand it out,” said Steve Vrabic, a volunteer at the CityReach Care Society.

“A lot of people are down on their luck. The economic is kind of bad, food prices, everything is inflated. People are struggling.”

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According to the latest Consumer Index Report from Statistics Canada, food prices went up just over nine per cent in June. Meanwhile, inflation dropped to 2.8 per cent.

“It doesn’t mean that life is getting cheaper for anyone, it just means that life isn’t getting as expensive as it once was,” explained Anastasia French, provincial manager, Living Wage for Families BC.

The CityReach Care Society says it hasn’t been able to feed all of the people who need its services. With prices still increasing, work to support the community will not be slowing down any time soon.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, including organic grapes, avocados, and sweet peppers, are among the items packed into hampers for families.

Open Gallery 5 items

“To receive this beautiful rescued and donated food and then redistribute that to families in need, that’s a beautiful gift to be able to give,” explained Cheryl McManus, associate directory, CityReach Care Society.

CityReach organizers say a thousand households have signed up for the “Food for Families Program.”

“Being able to provide those items that can’t fit in their budget and can’t fit in their grocery list, it provides dignity back to that family,” McManus said.

“Do we buy a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, or do we buy romaine lettuce or strawberries or things that are $10, $11, $12 now? And there are families all across our communities that are faced with these same tough choices and providing for their children.”

A pack of striploin steak being sold for $22.83 at a Metro Vancouver grocery store on July 18, 2023. (CityNews Image)

French says despite the drop in inflation, life around Metro Vancouver and beyond remains expensive for many.

“Rent is not getting cheaper, food is not getting cheaper, and equally, in a lot of places, wages are not going up,” she added. “Life is very unaffordable for people right now.”