Food Bank struggles to keep shelves stocked

Captain Sean Furey stands in front of some of the remaining food at the Dartmouth Community and Family Services food bank.

Captain Sean Furey may soon be forced to do something he’s never had to do in seven years of operating a Dartmouth food bank: put out a closed sign.

With food supplies dwindling and demand as high as ever, Captain Furey is on the brink of not being able to provide to the many members of the community that count on the service. The food bank operates out of the Dartmouth Community Church on Mondays and Thursdays and serves roughly 250 families each month. That is a stark increase from the 120 families per month that were using the facility seven years ago when Furey took over operation.

He feels there are a number of reasons for the strain on food bank supplies. These extend from the increase in cost of living to the lack of a grocery store in the Woodside community and a decrease in donated food volume.

“We have no cereal, no juice, no vegetables, no fruit. All we have right now is canned soup, some canned vegetables and that’s it,” Furey said on Thursday, May 19th.

“If we have 30 clients today, and on a normal Thursday we would, we’ll be shutting the doors.”

According to Furey, Feed Nova Scotia provides roughly 80 per cent of the food bank’s supplies. The remainder is comprised of food from Allied Reclamation Services and private donations.

If you wish to help the food bank, contact Dartmouth Community and Family Services at (902) 466-6847.