Last week, the Salvation Army released a report stating that one in three Atlantic Canadians are skipping meals or eating less because they can’t afford groceries. That’s a 13 percent increase over last year. Wendy Woodland is the Army’s Divisional Secretary Public Relations for the Atlantic Division. She says Community Family Services in Corner Brook are seeing an increase in demand especially with their Friendship Meal each Tuesday at the church where 80-90 people are there every week.
Woodland says the program has been growing over the past number of years and has also become an anchor for the Salvation Army church in Corner Brook. She says food affordability is top of the list for people in need and there’s always a need for clothing, help with finances, foodbanks, community meals, disaster relief, and housing.
Woodland says with the increasing cost of living, an extra expense can throw everything out of whack. She says for many people, having disposable income just does not exist but the Salvation Army is there to help.Woodland says because costs are going up for everybody, it means donations are going down. She says there’s a decline in monetary donations from 79 to 75 percent.
The Salvation Army Christmas kettle Campaign kicks off this week in Corner Brook and the target to raise this year is $105K.
