Cape Breton University food bank sees double normal demand as grocery prices rise

The student-run food bank at Cape Breton University is having a hard time keeping up with demand.

Organizers say they only have the budget to hand out 50 food packages a day, but lately, they've been getting requests for more than 100.

“Students don't have many jobs here. So right now, they're depending on the free food,” said Damanpreet Singh, president of the Cape Breton University Student Union.

The high cost of living is pushing students to use the services of non-profit groups so they can eat.

The general manager of Loaves and Fishes – a food bank and soup kitchen in Sydney, N.S. – says he has seen a steady stream of international students coming through the doors.

“We see a lot of seniors and a lot of young people come in now,” said Marco Amati.

It comes as the annual pace of inflation cooled in February, dropping to 5.2 per cent, but that didn't stop the price of groceries from remaining high.

Prices for purchased food in stores were up 10.6 per cent compared with a year ago, the seventh consecutive month of double-digit increases.

The Bank of Canada has paused interest rate hikes, for now, after raising it last year in an attempt to cool rising prices.

Back at Cape Breton University, help is coming. The food bank recently got $10,000 in provincial cash and another $1,500 from the community health board.

“Right now, we're accepting online forms from the students,” said Singh.

A spokesperson for the university said some international students might be confused about the purpose of a food bank, but Singh feels the majority of those who use the service are in desperate need.