WCSS continues to see record-breaking numbers of Food Bank visits. Every week, more of our neighbours are struggling to put nutritious food on the table. The challenges our community faces are real, and we need your help to meet this growing need.
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Read below to hear the story of a food bank visitor in the Sea to Sky.
“Originally from the prairies and well educated, I found my way to Whistler when my parents retired in BC. I found a well-paying management level job and have been here ever since. Whistler felt like home right away, but things took a turn when my mom got sick. I had to leave Whistler to care for her, and as a result, I lost my place on the housing list.
When I moved back to Whistler I met my husband, but we had to move to Squamish to find housing. We bought a townhouse with a nest egg I had saved and some help from my parents. Unfortunately, his name was on title, and when our kids were both under five, he left. Luckily, I had a great job at the time and was able to hire a live-in nanny from overseas to help with the kids.
Things changed again when my position at work became redundant, and I lost my job. While it was nice to be home more with the kids rather than relying on the nanny, it was nearly impossible financially. I now have a new job that isn’t as well paying as the last, so I struggle to make ends meet every month because my ex-husband doesn’t pay child support despite being to court many times.
I don’t eat as well as I should because I prioritize my kids’ needs over mine and I am very isolated because all I do is work and take care of my kids. Our car is old, it keeps breaking down, yet I can’t live without it because I can’t make it to work on time after getting the kids to the school bus if I don’t have a car. We buy things used, reuse as much as we can, use the food bank sometimes, never eat out, and can’t travel – including visiting friends and family back home. Squamish Helping Hands and Whistler Community Services keep us going with a lot of our needs.
I try to stay positive for my kids and am committed to providing the best life I can for them but the stress of not knowing if I will have enough to put food on the table is overwhelming. I deal with anxiety every day, from the moment I wake up to when I go to bed. Not surprisingly we can’t afford ski passes – and skiing is what we love. We are now looking at leaving the Sea to Sky, which will have a huge impact on my son since he’s in Grade 7 and wants to stay with his friends.”
– Food Bank Client, Sea to Sky Corridor
These testimonials are excerpts from the food insecurity narratives developed as part of the Sea to Sky Food Resiliency Project by Whistler Centre for Sustainability, Engagement + Planning. Thanks to the food bank clients who responded to the survey used to develop the narratives.