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Angela Braun, executive director of Helping Hands Centre of Brandon Inc., stands outside the local soup kitchen on Friday. The centre has served more than 51,000 meals this year, up from 46,000 in 2024, Braun said. (Photos by Tim Smith\/The Brandon Sun)<\/p>\n
Food prices are impacted by multiple factors, including climate change, Canada and U.S. trade relations, consumer behaviours and changes in retail business models, according to the 39-page report, produced by several universities, including Dalhousie University.<\/p>\n
Between 180 and 240 community members access a meal each day at the Brandon soup kitchen, which has served more than 51,000 meals this year, up from 46,000 in 2024, Braun said.<\/p>\n
Most people who come to the centre during the week are desperate for food to take home such as bread, margarine, milk, a jar of peanut butter for sandwiches and school snacks for kids, but the centre doesn\u2019t always have extra food to hand out, Braun told the Sun.<\/p>\n
The majority of people Helping Hands serves range in age from 35 to 60 years old, she said. They see a lot of newcomers, students, families and seniors whose pensions aren\u2019t enough to support them.<\/p>\n
After the lunch meal on Friday, three women sat at a table bagging about 85 to 100 sandwiches that will be sent to the 7th Street Health Access Centre to help people in need over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Braun and Heather Symbalisty, who is the executive director for Samaritan House Ministries Inc., fear an increase in food prices might result in less donations because more people are being careful with their spending.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur financial donations and our physical donations of non-perishable food items and frozen meats, like hams and turkeys, have decreased substantially,\u201d Symbalisty said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s surprising how fast we are going through them and how much we\u2019re handing out.\u201d<\/p>\n
The national report estimates meat will see the highest inflation rate compared to other foods, showing a price hike of 7.2 per cent.<\/p>\n
High retail prices for beef have led people to buy chicken as a more affordable option, but chicken prices are set to increase substantially in 2026 due to underproduction, the report said.<\/p>\n
Symbalisty is concerned the food bank won\u2019t have enough frozen meat to give families so they can have a holiday meal.<\/p>\n
Increased food costs are projected in other food categories, including vegetables (three to five per cent) dairy, eggs and baked goods (two to four per cent), fruit (one to three per cent) and seafood (up to two per cent).<\/p>\n
Manitoba is expected to fall below the national average in 2026 after seeing above or average food prices in 2025, the report said.<\/p>\n
Samaritan House delivered more than 18,000 food hampers from January to November, with 1,900 hampers delivered in November alone, Symbalisty said.<\/p>\n
The food hampers include rice or pasta, cans of vegetables, cereal, bread, snacks, formula, diapers, milk, frozen meat and fresh produce from partnering grocers.<\/p>\n
The food bank serves more than 3,300 households per month in the Brandon area and saw 82 new families visit the food bank last month, she said.<\/p>\n