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Fresh food shortages hit Penticton food banks

Normally, local grocery stores donate fresh produce but there is none to give
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Fresh food shortages are hitting Okanagan food banks. (Contributed)

Food banks around the Okanagan are starting to feel the food shortages.

Penticton Salvation Army’s community ministries director Al Madsen said they usually get produce donated from the local grocery stores.

“It’s the fresh stuff that we get from the grocery stores that is short-dated that we aren’t getting right now,” said Mandsen.

The food bank is preparing not to have any fresh foods for a couple of weeks until the grocery stores catch back up with supplies.

But the generous donations from the Thanksgiving food drive have the Salvation Army with a pretty good stock of non-perishable foods, said Madsen.

However, the shortage of fresh food comes at a time when the Salvation Army is seeing an increase in need.

“We were making eight to 10 bags of food to give away each day but now we are seeing 18 to 20 people in need.”

Last Friday, they gave out 200 grab bags of food.

Grocery shelves are bare of fruits and vegetables, except local apples, at all Penticton stores.

There is no milk to be had anywhere as the majority of the suppliers come from the Lower Mainland which has been cut off by floods and landslides.

READ MORE: Milk shortages felt across the Okanagan

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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