With a growing amount of people who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic, food banks across B.C. and Canada are seeing a big spike in people needing help. “There’s been a ton of new clients registering with us,” said Tammie Watson, chief development officer for the Central Okanagan Community Food Bank in Kelowna. “The amount of families coming through is skyrocketing.” Watson said on Wednesday alone, the families that were registered to pick up hampers included 114 children.
Since the pandemic began, Watson said the food bank has seen a 26 per cent spike in clients. “Prior to COVID, we averaged anywhere from 80 to possibly 100 appointments, per day, Monday to Friday,” she said. “Right now, we are averaging anywhere between