Life for Claudia* was hard from a young age. After years of abuse, she was kicked out of the house she shared with her mother. At just sixteen years old, she had lost her home, her family, and the dreams she had for her future. Every day she worried about going hungry. And eventually, she dropped out of school when the burden of providing for herself became too much to carry. Claudia felt hopeless. But then she discovered Daily Bread Food Bank.
“There are no words to describe how grateful I felt walking into the food bank for the first time,” she says. Like Claudia, many clients come to food banks due to circumstances outside their control. The grocery support Claudia received from the food bank made it possible for her to dedicate time and energy towards her studies. Today, she has successfully completed her education, including her Personal Support Worker certification. This is an incredible milestone that has helped her find work and reduce her need for support.
But as the cost of living continues to rise, Claudia has had to take on a second job to get by. She works seven days a week, and still does not have enough to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of food, in addition to paying rent and other necessities. “I work constantly, but at least I’m not hungry anymore,” she says. She’s grateful for donors like you who make it possible for her to have fresh and nutritious food to eat.
With inflation driving the cost of food up—and the continued expense of rent and other barriers putting pressure on our neighbours—we continue to see record-breaking demand for our services from many of our clients. We are now serving over 12,000 new clients each month. That’s six times more new clients per month than before the pandemic.
As we head into our busiest season yet, support for our neighbours, like Claudia, is essential.
Please consider making a donation today. With your help, families and individuals facing hunger can have a place to turn to for the nutritious food they need.
Thank you for your support.
*Name has been changed for privacy reasons.
