Christmas hampers will run along side the year-round hamper program this year as Loaves and Fishes prepares for unprecedented levels of demand. (Loaves and Fishes Food Bank)

By Alex Rawnsley

holiday season

Volunteers needed for Loaves and Fishes to meet ‘extraordinary’ Christmas hamper demand

Nov 16, 2023 | 5:34 AM

NANAIMO — If you’ve got some time this holiday season, Loaves and Fishes would love to talk to you.

Registration for their annual Christmas Hamper programs is open, with the community food bank expecting unprecedented demand as a result of skyrocketing grocery prices and other financial pressures.

Loaves and Fishes’ executive director Peter Sinclair said they’re expecting considerable growth in those registering to receive this holiday season.

“We are planning for an extraordinary number of people accessing Christmas Hampers this Christmas, we’re expecting it to be up by 30 per cent over last year.”

Plans are in place to distribute over 3,500 individual hampers, which will help provide a brighter Christmas to over 7,500 people.

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Hampers include potatoes, carrots and eggs, a selection of non-perishable items, laundry and personal soaps as well as a grocery store gift card.

Sinclair said the gift card allows families to customize their holiday experience and enjoy “some flexibility to get what is best for them”.

Registration for hampers is available on the Loaves and Fishes website.

In addition to the anticipated surge in interest, Sinclair said Loaves and Fishes are continuing their regular hamper campaign through the holiday as well, meaning some weeks in December they’ll pull double duty.

“It’s a lot of logistical challenges to making sure all that food gets distributed and gets out to people in need, but we’re confident that we’re going to be able to meet that need because we’ve got such a generous community.”

While Loaves and Fishes can always do with donations of non-perishable food or cash ahead of “significant purchases of food”, the thing they need the most right now is time.

Volunteers are in shorter and shorter supply each year and food must be sorted before it is distributed.

“We need people to sign up and volunteer with us. You can go to our website and sign up for volunteer shifts, so with all that food coming in it’s got to get sorted before it can go out to people.”

Information on volunteering with Loaves and Fishes is available here.

Loaves and Fishes continue to navigate permitting and fundraising for their new depot along East Wellington Rd.

A development permit was issued by the City of Nanaimo and an application for a building permit will be submitted later this month, Sinclair said.

They’re anticipating a nine to 12-month wait before they can arrange to get shovels in the ground, but only if their fundraising efforts are successful.

“We can only do that if we’ve got the funds in place and so while we’ve received generous support from the City of Nanaimo, Regional District and provincial government, we’re now working with the federal government.”

The proposed nearly 30,000-square-foot warehouse and office facility is roughly five times their current space and would revolutionize how Loaves and FIshes operate and allow them to serve more across Nanaimo and Vancouver Island.

Cost estimates have the facility at about $11.5 million, with the provincial government making a $7 million funding investment in May.

The City of Nanaimo purchased the East Wellington Rd. lot in late 2021 for $1.3 million for the express purpose of Loaves and Fishes operating on it fo

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