50-year-old soup? Donations down, demand up but don't donate old goods to food bank

While demand is high for food banks around Newfoundland and Labrador at this time of year, at least one group is asking the public to stop donating expired food.

Fay Dawe, co-ordinator for the Conception Bay South/Paradise food bank, has seen more than a healthy dose of relics during her 11 years of accepting donations.

Some people, they just think if you're hungry enough you'd eat anything.- Fay Dawe

Highlights or lowlights include a 50-year-old can of Campbell's Soup with a vintage logo she recognized from her childhood and a can of cream so old, Central Dairies took it back to itsheadquarters to display on a shelf.

"They just think they're doing it out of the goodness of their heart, which is fine," Dawesaid of the donors.

"We just bring it in and we sort it and make the decision if the can is any good or not."

Dawe is also reminding people not to bring in opened goods, or food that has been frozen and thawed.

"Some people, they just think if you're hungry enough you'd eat anything," she said."If you wouldn't feed it to your own, don't feed it to nobody else's."

Donations down, demand up drastically

Peter Wells, chair of the Conception Bay South/Paradise Community Food Bank,said the demand is becoming overwhelming, and is up higher than thesignificant increase they saw last year.

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"Our demand is up this year anywhere around 40, 45 per cent or more," Wells told CBC News.

"From March [2015] to March [2016] we actually had a 78 per cent increase and now we're having another 40 per cent increase."

Wells said the food bank is seeing bigger numbers looking for help and a wider variety of people, including more seniors and people returning from Alberta.

He blames the double-whammy of a struggling economy and increased taxes and fees instituted by the provincial government in its spring budget.

"Since the government cut back on medical for seniors, we're seeing more seniors than ever," he said.

"We are getting people who are coming back from Fort Mac, their EI has run out and they have nowhere to go. They've sold off everything they own and they're coming home and they are going to social services and they are coming here for assistance."

Since the [province] cut back on medical for seniors, we're seeing more seniors than ever.- Peter Wells, food bank chair

He says the same forces that are driving the demand are also suppressing donations.

Glancing around the storeroom at its space in Manuels, Wells says, "This time last year, you couldn't move in here for the food that came in. This year we're way down. We're probably down 50 per cent from last year."

"The monetary donations are down from last year dramatically."

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Wells saidthere is one bright spot.

"Fortunately, for the Christmas hampers, the Rotary, Lions Club and Chamber of Commerce is kicking in and they are providing everything for that."

Wells said the food bank has been soliciting churches and businesses for more donations and that has been yielding some results, but they often draw on the same donors who already contribute.

The food bank will manage through the upcoming holiday season, he said, but unless donations increase, its shelves could be empty by the time February rolls around.