MONTREAL -- Food depots that help those in need are seeing less demand this year compared to 2020.
Yet, thousands of Montreal families will be in need of help this holiday season, and on Friday, Moisson Montreal delivered the last of its 20,000 holiday food baskets.
Those baskets, however, likely won't be enough, and organizations are looking forward with concern as food prices rise.
"We believe that the demand for food aid will increase, and then it's going to impact us," said Moisson Montreal executive director Richard Daneau.
Food prices are expected to jump by as much as eight per cent next year.
Companies donate excess supply to Moisson Montreal, so the price won't affect them directly, but they worry about the effect down the supply chain to client organizations they distribute to.
Inflation could put more households in line ups for food baskets.
"The buying power is going to be an issue next year," said Sun Youth Emergency Services director Eric Kingsley. "We have clients who don't have phones, and don't have bus passes. Some of them walk here. It's going to hurt them even worse."
Sun Youth is putting together around 5,000 Christmas baskets this year, but next year, a grocery bill could be a thousand dollars more expensive.
"My concern is for the families, for the single people without children too because their buying power, they don't have $150, $200 per month to spend on food in the first place," said Kingsley.
