Urgent need for food to stock London Food Bank shelves

The annual London Cares Curb Hunger Food Drive has launched with a renewed sense of urgency as a record number of London families face food insecurity.

In its 25th year, the 12-day food drive has never been more urgent.

“At the foodbank we are now in record territory, the highest we’ve ever been in 36 years. That’s true for all food banks across the country, not just us, but we expect it to go up to 4,000 families sometime in the fall. We’ve never been in that realm before,” said Glen Pearson, co-executive director at the food bank.

In 2021 the drive collected the equivalent of 25,000 pounds of fresh and non-perishable food.

Londoners are also being encouraged to grow food as part of the drive.

According to Pearson, soaring food prices and other factors have seen more Londoners than ever turn to the food bank each month.