Waste Management of Canada (WM) held a food drive at the Wheat King game last Tuesday against Vancouver Giants, collecting non-perishable food items and cash for Brandon's Samaritan House

“This is the very time of year these services are needed most,” said WM's Diane Kossman, senior communications manager for Western Canada. “Reserves are low after the holiday season but demand remains high and as more Canadians turn to food banks in the wake of the economic recession, donations continue to decline..”

The timing of the event was perfect, said Samaritan House executive director Marla Somersall. “With food bank use up 15 per cent over last year and demand remaining high, this event comes at a perfect time,” said Somersall. “We are proud to live in a community that continues to support people who are hungry. We are so thankful to Waste Management for pulling this together.

According to a recent study conducted by Food Banks Canada, almost 795,000 people turned to food banks in March 2009 - an 18 per cent increase over March of the previous year. While the Province of Manitoba wasn't the hardest hit by the effects of the recession, food bank use here kept pace with the national average. In this province in March 2009, of the 47,925 people who needed help from food banks, 49 per cent were children.