The number of Edmontonians using the food bank to prepare their meals has increased rapidly over the past ten years.

The Edmonton Food Bank says the number of people it serves has increased by 300 per cent.

“It’s been a real challenge for us to keep up with the number of requests we’ve been getting, as well as conserve them and maintain food supplies to do the work that we do,” said Marjorie Benz, executive director of the food bank. .

The latest data revealed Monday comes from HungerCount 2024: overall, in March 2024, there were more than two million visits to food banks in Canada, the highest number in history.

The study says rapid inflation, housing costs and insufficient social support are leading to new levels of poverty and food insecurity.

Benz says that at different times of the year, the food bank served 34,000 people in a month in 2023. This year, that number increased to 43,000.

Twenty-eight years ago, the food bank fed an average of 19,500 people per month.

The report calls on governments to introduce measures including rental assistance and a monthly payment to low-income groups to help offset the costs of rent and food.

“By the time they pay their rent, there’s not enough money left in their budget to pay for food,” Benz said.

She says the organization does not receive government funding and relies on the community for donations, money or time.

“There were times when you walked into the food bank and our shelves were very empty,” Benz said. In 2023, the food bank reduced the size of its food baskets in order to meet the needs of its customers.

Overall, visits to Alberta food banks decreased by less than 1 per cent last year and 607,033 meals and snacks were served, according to Food Banks Canada.

The Edmonton Food Bank is looking to the upcoming holiday season to help set the stage for next year.

With files from The Canadian Press and CTV Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson