The Christmas Cheer Board of Winnipeg opened its doors on November 5 and is anticipating high demand for holiday hampers after last year’s record number of requests, which surpassed 20,500.
Executive Director of the cheer board Shawna Bell said requests for around 500 of those hampers were unfulfilled, and the cheer board had to turn off their phones and stop taking applications after December 22, something that had never had to be done in its 105-year history.
Bell believes inflation and rising food costs are critical contributors to the increased demand. As minimum wage struggles to keep up with living costs, demand among the working poor, seniors, and newcomers continues to grow. Systemic change must come from provincial and federal governments to address the growing disparity and reduce reliance on food aid services.
