CBC B.C.'s Food Bank Day donations have exceeded $2.4M

CBC British Columbia's 37thannual Food Bank Day broadcast tookplace Dec. 1, as demand for food banks grows across the province.

As of 9a.m. PT on Monday, Jan. 1,this year'sevent has raised $2,446,235.78.This total includes all online donations and donations mailed in and receivedup to Dec.22, 2023.

Online donationsarenow closed.

Anaudience enjoyedlive interviews, musical performances and special guestsat the Vancouver Broadcast Centre on Dec. 1, while many more tuned into the radio broadcast or watched via a livestream.

Local artists and guestsincluded Marie Hui, drag performerKendall Gender and even Santa Claus himself.

CBC B.C. has now raised more than $19million since Food Bank Day began, with $2,967,719.26 raisedacross the province last year alone.

But demand for food banks has only increased since then, according to Food Banks B.C.

Many more British Columbians are at risk of going hungry this year, according to Dan Huang-Taylor, executive director of Food Banks British Columbia.

He says 21 per cent more people accessed services this year compared to 2022 and donations have dropped provincewide, in some cases by over 30 per cent.

The top three reasons given by clients for accessing services this year arethe cost of food, low wages and the cost of housing.

One out of every three food bank users in the province is a child.