The price of groceries makes it prohibitive for a lot of people to eat, and in
fact it is not even possible for those who are not rich to be able to follow
the guide lines found in the Canada Food Guide.
While living in Kamloops many years ago, I had the privilege of
volunteering and using the services of the Kamloops Food Co-op.
The way it worked was that anyone living below the poverty line would
come in and register once. That would entail their name, address, and
proof of income such as an Assistance stub, an E.I. Card, or tax
evaluation. From there, they would be given a membership card.
Then, any time the client would come in, all they would have to do was
show their card and they were admitted to the back where the store was.
In the back, there was non perishable food, which was marked up
by far less than the regular grocery stores. For example, back when I
worked there, the cost of a box of KD was 75¢ in the regular grocery store.
At the Co-op that same box of KD was 57¢.
It was a non profit organization, run and operated by volunteers, and all
proceeds from the sale of these goods went directly to restocking and
paying bills.
We would get donations of day old doughnuts and bread, which were
handed out free of charge.
The first month I went in as a shopper, I was very surprised. For
$30.00, I left with three boxes of groceries, where the exact same
order would have cost me well over $90.00 at a regular grocery store.
This would help on so many fronts.
1. It gives people the power to buy their own food, which is so difficult right
now, therefore restoring their dignity. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying
anything against food banks, churches, or soup kitchens as they are so
important.
In fact without these organizations, many people would die of
starvation. But what I am saying is that when a person goes to the food
bank for example, it is someone else who decides what that person gets.
2. It would take some of the pressure off of churches, food banks, soup
kitchens etc. In fact approximately 100,000 people use food banks per
month in BC alone.
3. If a parent has access to a reasonable amount of appropriate food for
themselves and their children, in conjunction with the Good Start
program at schools, it would certainly help. How can a child be
expected to learn on an empty stomach?
As it stands now, when a poor person goes shopping, (including the
working poor) it is not a matter of “What do I want to buy,” it is a matter of ,
“What do I absolutely need, and if I can't afford that, what can a sacrifice
so I can get the other necessities?” And I'm not talking about a bag of
chips.
For many years, I had to survive on carbohydrates. It was never a matter
of meat and veggies, it was rice, potatoes, or pasta. Maybe, if I was really
lucky, I could afford to put a bit of meat in, or perhaps some carrots, or an
onion in it. I loved it in the fall when large amounts of potatoes, carrots,
and onions would go on sale for a reasonable amount. 50 lbs of potatoes,
25 lbs of carrots, and 25 lbs of onions would last for one month.
Whoever decided that caring for the poor is strictly the responsibility of
churches, and charities is totally wrong. It is everyone’s responsibility.
