After sitting around the table sharing thanks and food with your family and friends, it’s good to remember the people and families who might be not as fortunate.

“Thanksgiving and this time of year is a great example of how food can connect us all and how food insecurity can really be an isolating experience for some folks. So if folks want to support in the grocery store, all of the major chains across town here will have donation bins,” says John Bailey, CEO of the Regina Food Bank.

This year, the food bank has been seeing record numbers of people looking to use their services.

“The need for folks that are requesting service from the food bank continues to be at an all-time high,” says Bailey.

He says that the food bank predicted a demand increase this year of roughly 15 per cent but instead they’ve seen a steady increase of 23 per cent.

“There are lots of factors around that. There’s the higher cost of living, making sure we can support our new neighbors who are new to our community, so there are lots of drivers for that but the end result for us is that numbers continue to spike and we’re seeing numbers that we honestly have never seen before,” says Bailey.

He adds that the food bank has seen increase in younger people wanted to use their services as well as resettlers.

Food and/or monetary donations can be dropped off at the food bank on Winnipeg Street.

For more information about the food bank and their services, click here.