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CBC B.C.'s Food Bank Day hits the $2M mark in funds raised for those in need

People are pictured at the Surrey Food Bank in Surrey, B.C., on Nov. 24.  (Ben Nelms/CBC - image credit)
People are pictured at the Surrey Food Bank in Surrey, B.C., on Nov. 24. (Ben Nelms/CBC - image credit)

CBC has been raising money for British Columbia food banks for more than three decades, and the tradition continues this December.

The 36th annual CBC Food Bank Day kicked off Friday with special broadcasts. All the while, listeners were encouraged to donate to help those in need.

As of noon Wednesday, $2,030,265.08 has been raised.

While the main fundraising activities and special programs took place Dec. 2, donations can be made online until Dec. 31.

In 2021, the event raised a record-breaking $2,963,015.

Fundraising festivities were adapted to an online environment over the last two years due to the pandemic, but this year CBC opened its doors once again.

A small, intimate live studio audience joined program hosts at the CBC Vancouver Broadcast Centre for the day's special programs.

CBC News
CBC News

With food insecurity higher than ever, the demand in B.C. for food banks is increasing. The amount of food provided by the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, one of the province's largest, has nearly doubled in the last two years.

new report from Food Banks Canada says food bank visits in B.C. have been increasing more than the national average due to the high cost of living and displacement from natural disasters like wildfires and flooding.

Dan Huang-Taylor, the executive director of Food Banks B.C., says they have seen an increase in visits from Indigenous people, immigrants and refugees and people with disabilities, as well as students and children.

The report found one in three people who access a food bank is a child.

At the same time, Huang-Taylor said, the costs of running food banks are up, and donations are down.

"The numbers are jarring."