Rising costs and fewer donations make it difficult for local food banks to meet the needs of Centretown’s ethnically diverse community.
People immigrating to Canada have different cultural and religious relationships to food and are prohibited from eating certain foods that are acceptable in North America, says Carolyn Hunter, agency relations manager at the Ottawa Food Bank.
“Rice and lentils are more nutritional for people to put in their diets and add a nice versatility to the food banks, especially for those who come from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds,” says Peter Tilley, executive director of the Ottawa Food Bank.
Dried legumes, lentils, rice and halal meats are essential items for the diverse Centretown community, Hunter says.
But she says rice, pasta and bread donations aren’t as easy to get, due to their rising cost over the past year.
The community is generous but donors are starting to have income anxiety due to the economy, Hunter says.
Food bank donations have decreased since the summer, but Hunter says more low-income families are using the food banks as a result of higher gas and hydro prices.
The Dalhousie Food Cupboard in the basement of a school at 18 Louisa St. is facing particular problems with donations.
A lot of Chinese and Korean people use this food bank, says co-ordinator Sarirah Shahid. Their diets are very different and the Dalhousie Food Cupboard doesn’t often get the type of noodles, rice and sauces that they use.
“It’s hard to fundraise in this area because it’s considered the city’s poorest area,” says Shahid. “People don’t have the money to go out and buy food for their local cupboard.”
She says the food bank can’t accommodate everyone since it’s on a limited budget. Caucasians make up the majority of the clientele, so the food items have to meet their needs, she says.
Shahid says there aren’t many Muslim clients, but those who use the Dalhousie Food Cupboard require halal meats.
“Halal meats cost a lot for the food bank to order and I can only keep them for a certain amount of time,” she says. “I have to get regular meats so I can serve more clients rather than a few clients.”
Shahid, a Muslim herself, is originally from Pakistan. She used a food bank when she was going through difficult times but her options were limited. The food bank didn’t have halal meats then, and Islam prohibits her from eating regular meats, even in soups, she says.
Many immigrants who come to Canada aren’t accustomed to the food items available here, like beans in sauce or spaghetti.
She says the language barrier makes it difficult for many to follow the cooking instructions of these unfamiliar foods.
One woman came in and didn’t know what macaroni and cheese was or how to make it, and had to get her children to read the directions, she says.