b FOOD BANKS HERE ARE twice as many food bank out- lets in Canada today as there are McDonald’s franchises. In 1991, close to two million Canadians used food banks. -~ More than 2,5 million people in Canada live below the poverty line and 60 percent are women, Two-thirds of all minimum wage carners are women. Seven- teen percent of Canadian children ~ (1 in6) live in poverty. ~ These are shocking statistics for “one of the richest countries in the world, “Poverty is a very real and harsh . : way. of life for many Canadians - “and ‘women are particularly vul- -merable to becoming and staying poor. . ~ And. being. poor often means _ going hungry — even in B.C. -A recent report of the B.C, : Nutrition ‘Council indicates that “low. wage earners and péople on income. assistance cannot afford : adequate amounts of nutritious food... “In March 1993, the average “monthly. cost. of the Thrifty - Nutritious Food Basket for a fam- ily. of four (a basic, no frills sclec- “tion determined by Agriculture : Canada) was $499.64. ©The support ,allowance for a family ‘of four on income as- - sistance. (February, . 1993) was > $564.00. ‘Afler buying the mini- mum: of food contained in the - ‘Thrifty: Food Basket, the family would have $64.36 left fo spend _on’ transportation, clothes, per- sonal .care, school supplies, household suppties...in fact, "everything except shelter. (They t -may. also’ get some assistance from the ‘child tax benefit, but _ that gets smaller as your children get older.) =>” ~ The working poor face a similar filerama:"If a-family~ok- four-is* * ported “by*one~parent caring ~ the. minimum . wage, . the family. could ‘spend ” more ‘than 60° per rcent‘of its income to purchase the food in the Thrifty Basket : Compare this to about 15 per- cent of. income spent on food by middle j income families. Remember, with the Thrifty Food’ Basket, only the basics are ‘covered - no special treats for a birthday dinner, no ¢xtras for in- “viting friends for a meal, little ac- ‘commodation of personal tastes -and special needs. “The .B.C. Dietitians’ and Nutritionists’ Association " (BCDNA) is committed to food security for all of us. - What is food security? It's. access by all people at all ‘times to enough food for an ac- itive, bealthy life. It..means that foods that are nutritionally adequate, safe, and _ “personally acceptable are readily . ‘available for everyone. -What can we do as a com- -Mmunity to increase food security? First, we have to stop blaming ‘the victims of. poverty. This means we can’t just focus on in- ‘dividuals and put the full respon- , sibility for healthy eating on the family unit: That: ignores the responsibility ‘of sociely as a whole. When the ‘gap between the rich and the poor -widens, the standard of health in /, our country. drops. ‘This is bad news for everyone - ; ‘not just the poor. Foods banks are only a band- ‘aid: solution to the problem of poverty. They help to “save the ‘sheep that are drowning, without fixlng the hole in the fence.” The food bank movement grew ‘in leaps. and bounds in the 80’s _and now in.their second decade, organizers face a crisis of con- ‘science. © Food banks have taken the pres- “sure off governments to address the Toot cause of poverty, Many ople are “asking why we need ':fodd banks in this land of plenty. ~ Graham Riches, a leading ex- pert in Canadian food banks, ‘proposes that food bank volunteers participate in. the “political struggle for the right of al] Canadians to have their basic a “ypeeds fully met. Let’s “think globally and act ‘“Jocally”.. i While ., we: can’t Ignore short ‘term, needs in our community, we . ‘also have to come up with long, term: strategies for’ correcting ‘the | problem. Nutrition Notes by Gerry Kasten The BCDNA has recommended to the Ministry of Social Services of the Province of B.C. that food allowances be indexed to Agri- culture Canada’s ‘‘Nutritious Food Basket”? (i bit better than the *‘Thrifty Food Basket’’). The recommendation includes making regional adjustments and separating food from other sup- port costs. There are lots of ways we call work foward increasing food security locally. ‘ Volunteers can organize and support cooking clubs (or com- munity kitchens), community gar- dens, food exchanges, and food buying clubs. These are only some of the ways that ‘‘people helping people”’ can strengthen the health DAIRYMAID SUICES 1 Assorted Varieties. 12 X 300 mL SCOTCH MINTS Generic. ALL PURPOSES | FLOUR Generic. 20 kg. SPAGHETTI 1 SAUCE Ragu Old World Siyle. 1.87-Litre. PLASTIC WRAP Generic. Stretch & Cling, 500 Feet. ann 19:98 Generic. 30cm X 200 M Shoulder Butt. Whole. Frozen Limit 1. While Supplies Last. 2.16/ kg Ib Ovenjoy. White or 60 % Whole Wheat. 450 g loaf. piles ice uti EDWARDS ont Regular, Fine or Extra Fine a Grind. 300 g pkg. illions and millions served 8 Glasses A Day Water Facts How To Quench Your Thirsty Lawn We often over water our lawns, only to have the water run off or burn off in the sun. The best time to water a lawn is in the early morning or later afternoon. This cuts down on losses due to evaporation. Try to use. sprinklers that lay the Water down in a flat pattern. Oscillating sprinklers. lose as much as 50% of what they disperse. through: evaporation. Generally, your lawn will require about 1 inch of water per week, To check this, place a few plastic containers around your lawn and then measure. Cutting grass relatively high, about 5 - 8 centimeters also helps to provide shade to the roots. During dry periods, leave the grass cuttings on the lawn as a mulch. The mulch helps to retain moisture and moderates soil temperatures. .88/ 100g Lean Quality. Approx. 10 Ib. bag. Limit 1 bag. 4.37/ kg VOLUNTEER Kyla Rice helps Keep shelves stocked at ‘he Ter- of the community. race Churches Food Bank. The food bank closes for the summer Nobody should go hungry in but reopens for November. Anyone wanting to volunteer can con- _ BAC, today. tact one of the 11 churches involved or coordinator Micki Braid. ; oyalty - Man sertont Group ¢ nada FRESH CANTALOUPE U.S. ar Mexican Grown, No. | Grade. SIZE 15 OR 18'S or Schweppes Ginger Ale, Hires Root Beer or Orange Crush. Assorted Varieties. 2 Litre bottle plus depost B,C. Grown. Canada Fancy Grade. 1.30/ kg Bulk. Regular or B.B.Q. 2,.82/ kg GROUND BEEFY’ OLYMPIC ween MasterCard | Advertised prices in effect until closing Saturday May 29, 1993 at your friendly, courteous Terrace Safeway. Quantity rights reserved, | a a