Compensation Payments Put Dent In Food Bank Use

Compensation Payments Put Dent In Food Bank Use

Wednesday, November 26, 2008 at 14:14

Food bank use in Saskatchewan was down earlier this year, and it could have had something to do with residential school compensation cheques.

The HungerCount 2008 study was taken in March, not too long after residential school payments began to flow out to survivors.

According to Bill Hall, the executive director of Food Banks Saskatchewan, the two events may have been related.

While he says that the drop was encouraging, further surveying in September indicates that usage numbers have rebounded almost to levels seen in previous years.

Hall also notes the global financial crisis may start to take its toll soon.

Saskatchewan continues to have one of the highest percentages of child food bank clients in Canada at almost 46 per cent.