The Saskatoon Food Bank is running out of some of its most essential items and is asking the public for help.

The organization says that as the rising cost of living attracts more customers, its inventory is critically low. And this month, he’s asking for more infant formula donations.

“Formula is quite an expensive item, so for mothers who can’t breastfeed, we like to have it available to them,” said Laurie O’Connor, executive director of the Saskatoon Food Bank.

“We have certainly experienced difficulties over the course of several months keeping this item in stock.”

Knowing that 40 per cent of food bank users are children or mothers of babies, O’Connor said they need support.

“No one wants to see anyone go hungry, least of all children,” O’Connor said. “We plan ahead and make sure we can keep a good stock of formula in the building.”

On Monday, Food Banks Canada released its Hunger Report 2024which included data from across the country based on statistics collected during the month of March 2024.

The number of people visiting food banks in March broke records for the country. More than two million people in Canada visited food banks during this period.

For its part, the Saskatoon Food Bank has seen its number of users increase by 40 percent since 2019.

O’Connor said that aside from the rising cost of groceries, rising rent prices are another reason people are turning to their local food bank more than ever.

Kim Scruby, executive director of the Prince Albert Food Bank, also highlighted the multiple financial pressures.

“It’s not just about one thing: It’s about food prices and rent increases,” Scruby said. “I’ve heard of significant rent increases around here.”

Scruby said the Prince Albert Food Bank remains afloat, but she has also seen a big increase in the number of people using the organization in recent years.

Scruby said he has seen an increase of about 70 percent recently in the number of dual-income households visiting the food bank, using the organization as a way to save money at the grocery store as the cost of life continues to increase.

“We always manage to keep the baskets pretty full and meet demand,” he said. “Some weeks it’s a little harder than others.”

Scruby said some products are leaving shelves faster than others. The Prince Albert Food Bank is looking for baby products, non-perishable food items and hygiene products during this time.