Food price hikes could affect food bank

[Cybergal]

Food price hikes could affect food bank
4/28/08
TheChronicleHerald.ca, Canada

The impact of the rising cost of flour, grain products and rice and an expected upward march in price affecting other grocery items is bad news for charities serving the needy, food bank officials in metro Halifax said Friday.

For an agency that provides food to about 250 people weekly, the cost of food inflation means more folks will likely be in dire straits economically in the near future, said Mel Boutilier, director of the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank in Halifax.

He said many of his organization’s clients are already struggling with grocery bills, as well as the cost of home heating fuel and phone service. Mr. Boutilier said the high cost of trucking fuel is another factor that could put more pressure on food banks.

"The truckers have to charge more for delivering goods, so the food stores have to put their prices up to offset that. And if the prices keep going up on everything, then people on fixed incomes (and others) find there’s just not enough money to feed themselves."
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