As Taylor Swift and her legions of fans descend on downtown Vancouver on Friday, CBC B.C. is hosting its 38th annual Make the Season Kind fundraiser in support of food banks across the province.
Each year, CBC B.C. puts on special programming and events to accompany the fundraiser, all designed to support fellow citizens in need of help from one of 110 food banks in the province.
As of 9:30 a.m. PT, a total of $467,000.28 had been raised.
Last year, more than $2.4 million was raised for Food Banks B.C.
Listen to us live across the province on CBC Radio and, if you are in Vancouver, come join us Friday on the outdoor plaza at the CBC Vancouver building, 700 Hamilton St., from noon until 6 p.m. PT for the live radio show with amazing musicians, special guests, a 360 photo booth and free Swiftie-inspired friendship bracelet making tables.
Those tuning in across the province can watch live on CBC Gem, the CBC B.C. YouTube channel and cbc.ca/bc, or listen on CBC Radio One.
Food bank use increasing
According to Food Banks B.C., record numbers of people have turned to food banks this year. For the first time, B.C. food banks served over 100,000 different people in one month.
Economist David Williams said food prices have increased about 30 per cent since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The things that are concerning people the most are food and shelter,” he said.
One out of every three food bank users is a child, while one in 10 is a senior. Williams said many are new immigrants to the province.
Food Banks B.C. says about a quarter of food bank users are employed, but their income is not enough to cover essential expenses.
In November, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released a new report showing that the living wage across B.C. is going up, reaching as high as $28.09 in Whistler. As of June 1, the minimum wage across B.C. is $17.40 per hour.
“The new way of getting by is to have to go to the food bank,” Williams said. “I think that’s a real concern, but it also just reflects overall the economy struggling.”