The HungerCount is an annual report released by Food Banks of Canada. The 2021 report was released at the end of October and in general, food banks in Canada have seen a major surge in visits throughout the pandemic.

In Alberta, there was an increase in food bank usage up by 29.6 per cent since 2019.

There is also some concern that the rising cost of living and economic disruption caused by the ongoing pandemic will continue to increase the need for food bank usage in the months to come.

So, the question that comes to mind is, how is the Cochrane Activettes Food Bank faring?

Speaking with Kathy Tucker, Chairperson for the food bank, the news is not as gloomy as the provincial picture. Tucker says, “Basically, right now with the Cochrane Food Bank our numbers are fairly steady. They’re not staggering by any means, they’re just steady.”

Tucker says that following the release of the HungerCount Report she was being asked a lot about the status of our local food bank and she would explain as follows: “What a lot of people don’t understand about those statistics that come out (when the HungerCount comes out) is they’re being represented by the bigger food bank centres.” Those centres would include Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and Lethbridge. Naturally, that means that those centres are servicing a very large number of people as compared to the number here in Cochrane.

Tucker says even Airdrie and Cochrane are not an equal comparison. Tucker explains, “For instance, there are close to 80,000 people in Airdrie whereas we only have about 35,000 people in Cochrane. And they are absolutely double busy compared to us." Tucker says that it is all relative, Cochrane is a smaller food bank, and it has been doing really well. She says, “We’ve done really well prior to the pandemic, and we’ve done really well through the pandemic. We’ve had generous donations from our community and outlying areas throughout this whole time. We are just so grateful to have those donations and to be able to help the people that we’re helping right now. In respect to the food bank here in Cochrane, we’re doing well, we’re doing okay.”

It is comforting to know that the Cochrane Activettes Food Bank hanging in and that the generosity of our community has once again shone through.

However, that does not mean that the Activettes will be resting on their laurels any time soon especially heading into the very busy Christmas season.  The Share Your Christmas Program will be happening again this year. It is just getting up and running and starting to gain momentum now. Plus, other food drives will be getting underway to fill the shelves of the food bank.  

Further details will be available following Remembrance Day and information can be found HERE.