It’s Hunger Awareness Day — what does that mean in Revelstoke?
Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 1) is Hunger Awareness Day and that makes this as good a time as any to think about what that means here in Revelstoke. This message, scrawled on a paper plate by a Food Bank client speaks volumes. David F. Rooney photoDavid F. Rooney
Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 1) is Hunger Awareness Day and that makes this as good a time as any to think about what it means to have people going hungry here in Revelstoke.
Hunger Awareness Day isn’t some kind of Hallmark Holiday. Visit the Community Connections Food Bank as many times as I have and you’ll swiftly discover that hunger is a real problem in our community. The numbers of people using the Food Bank have more than doubled since January 2009 when about 360 were using it. Today the number of clients hovers just under 800 and the agency and its volunteers somehow manage to feed them. Weekly, 180 people collect hampers every week — 30% of those helped b y the Food Bank are children under the age of 18.
The Food Bank has been an important feature of local life for 10 years come October and it manages to feed the hungry and needy men, women and children of Revelstoke with little or no financial assistance from government — any government.
“We did get a grant-in-aid once from the City, but that’s it,” says Patti Larson, Community Connections’ Outreach Services Manager.
Larson is the person who is most closely identified with the Food Bank. She has been involved with it since its inception in October 2000 and she thinks about it and worries about it every single day.
“We don’t get any support from the province or the federal government and we don’t get any support from the City,” she said in an interview. “That bothers me. It doesn’t feel good — it doesn’t feel right — to know that we can run a bus for free for skiers but do nothing about hunger among our own people.”
That may well be but the Food Bank is very well supported by individual citizens and by many, many members of the business community. That support is deeply appreciated by Larson.
“I see people come in with things they’d like to donate, I see the tremendous support we receive from our local business community and I am always struck by how remarkable that is,” she said. “It matters a very great deal.”
Patti Larson, Community Connections, the Food Bank’s volunteers and the many families and individuals who rely on the agency hope to raise awareness of the service’s importance through a special exhibition — the Wall of Hunger — that is on display at the Community Centre from May 31 until June 7.
The Wall of Hunger features over 50 black & white photographs, graphs and paper plates bearing poignant messages by Food Bank clients collected by Megan Shandro of Okanagan College. You can also click here to go to the Community Connections website where you can learn more about tIts Outreach Services, such as the Food Bank and associated programs. If you’d like a sneak preview of some of the images and messages on display keep scrolling…
This graph shows the growth in Community Connections' Food Bank usage since January 2009. Graph courtesy of the Community Connections Food Bank
The Friday morning ritual. Community Connections Food Bank clients begin lining up prior to its 8:30 opening. Visible faces have, where necessary, been blurred to protect the privacy of Food Bank clients. David F. Rooney photoIf you want the freshest produce and fruits available at the Food Bank you have to get there early and you have to wait in line. That's something everyone who is poor learns early on — lineups are a fact of life. David F. Rooney photoA client signs in at the Food Bank. Contrary to some of the malicious rumours floating around in the general community, there are strict rules regarding who can and cannot use the Food Bank. David F. Rooney photoFresh fruits and vegetables are highly sought after commodities at the Food Bank and they run out fast. David F. Rooney photoA decade ago the Revelstoke Food Bank didn't provide much in the way of personal grooming products but that has changed. It no longer provides just food. Toiletries, toys and other products are, at certain times, provided to clients. David F. Rooney photoThis large pile of bananas won't last long. This photo was taken at about 8:40 am. By 9:30 they were gone. David F. Rooney photoMilk waiting for distribution. David F. Rooney photoBread waiting for distribution. David F. Rooney photoCelery waiting for distribution. David F. Rooney photoOccasionally there are fresh cookies and other baked goods (besides bread) on offer as treats — like this cookie a client is accepting. David F. Rooney photoVolunteer Megan Shandro helps a young girl — the daughter of a client — select just the right coloured markers for a drawing. David F. Rooney photoA little girl — the daughter of a client — amused herself drawing on one of the Hunger Awareness Day paper plates at volunteer Megan Shandro put out to elicit comments from clients. David F. Rooney photoA client writes his message to the general public on one of the Hunger Awareness Day plates at the Food Bank. David F. Rooney photoIt's easy to imagine that if you're young you can find a job easily enough. To a certain extent that may be true — but it's certainly NOT true of everyone. And if you're young and just barely scraping by on minimum wage, the food bank is a necessity. David F. Rooney photoThis bulletin board at the Food Bank offers up advice, places to seek help and even a rule or two. David F. Rooney photoClients cruise past the canned goods table looking for something appealing. If they need some help, there's always a friendly volunteer ready to assist them. David F. Rooney photoStyrofoam cups and a box of sugar cubes are ready for the coffee-drinking clients. David F. Rooney photoMany people need some get-up-and-go juice in the morning and there is always free coffee available at the Food Bank. David F. Rooney photoTwo men wait in line for the products they need. David F. Rooney photoSlippers may be all these Food Bank clients have to wear on their feet. David F. Rooney photoWe Canadians tend to smugly congratulate ourselves on our so-called "social safety nets" without thinking about how good they are or what it really means when you have to rely on public and private charity to survive. David F. Rooney photoVolunteer Megan Shandro (left) chats with Melissa Jamieson, Community Connections Housing Outreach worker. David F. Rooney photoA client selects a canned item to add to her food hamper. Everyone gets a standard hamper. David F. Rooney photoEven if you have to hobble to the Food Bank with your cane, you don;t want to miss the regular Friday morning distribution. If you can't walk they will deliver. David F. Rooney photoSingle parents have one of the toughest jobs in our society. We do offer them some assistance but is it enough? David F. Rooney photoAnd when you've got everything you need and you've had a chance to chat with friends and acquaintances it's time to go. David F. Rooney photo
