Fuel costs impacting more B.C. services, including food banks, local grocers

It is no secret that high gas prices are affecting British Columbians and Canadians, but the impact is also affecting organizations.

“Starting to get anecdotal data, just when we’re comparing sort of the previous year and that sort of thing, where there’s more people again coming to the food bank,” Kim Savage, the Surrey Food Bank executive director, said.

Savage said that for many people, there is no room left in their budgets and higher gas prices are making it more expensive to get around, while driving up the price of food as those costs move through the supply chain.

“Sort of a one-two punch,” Savage said.

That same pressure is showing up at the Union Gospel Mission, with staff saying they are seeing more people who need emergency support.

“With the major increase in the cost of gas, we’ve actually noticed an uptick in folks trying to access the emergency hamper for the first time and also trying to access support services after cheque week,” Nicole Mucci with the Union Gospel Mission said.

More pressure may still be coming.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers says suppliers are already warning stores of price hikes and fuel surcharges.

“If you’re an independent grocer on tight margins of two per cent, that’s not a figure I plucked out of thin air, it’s Stats Can and you’re faced with double-digit price increases from your suppliers, you have to pass those on,” Gary Sands with the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, said.

All of it is adding up for households already stretched.

The Surrey Food Bank says demand is up 50 per cent from just two years ago and it is still rising.

“The constant struggle with people’s pocketbooks in affordability, lagging economy, all of those sorts of things,” Savage said.

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