Store closures impacting Abbotsford food bank

The closure of some of Abbotsford’s big grocery and box stores has meant tough times for the Abbotsford Food Bank, and it could get worse. 

The IGA and Target used to donate some food items, such as cases of canned goods that had been dropped or otherwise damaged.

Those stores are no more, and between that loss and cutbacks from the National Food Sharing Program, the food bank took in a quarter million dollars less food last year than in previous years.

The closing of Target, Future Shop, and other stores has also meant the loss of hundreds of jobs.

Food bank coordinator Dave Murray says it will take awhile for that impact to trickle through, but says it wouldn’t surprise him to see a higher demand in the summer.