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Mustard Seed Food bank gets boost from local realtors

Summertime sees higher demand for food bank service with schools closed

Greater Victoria realtors presented a small bounty to the Mustard Seed Food Bank from their annual food drive.

More than 2,000 pounds and nearly $4,000 in cash was raised for the food bank by the realtors for the organization, which provides food for more than 7,000 people each month.

But its storehouse is currently in need of a boost, said Rev. Chris Riddell, Mustard Seed executive director.

"I don't remember it being quite this low," he said, noting that the number of families who used the food bank in July was up 20 per cent over the previous month.

"With school being out for the summer, there are no school or lunch programs, so people rely on us," he said. "I think people are guarding their donations a little more carefully as well in the current economic climate."

The Mustard Seed relies on more than food donations to provide for the roughly 900 families in Greater Victoria that use the service.

"Cash allows us to buy what we need when we need it," Riddell said.

The organization can purchase food at a lower price in bulk, which allows those dollars to go further than if donors go and purchase groceries on their own.

Donations can be made online at mustardseed.ca or by calling 250-953-1575.

dpalmer@vicnews.com