Hunger is on the rise in Prince Albert.
The Prince Albert Share A Meal/Food Bank is getting numbers they haven't seen in years and with donations being down, things are not looking good.
Ron Bergen, chairman of the food bank, said it is always slow for donations in the spring, but this year it is worse.
"We've got next to nothing, maybe a couple of hundred pounds (of food)," he said.
When cheques come out he said the numbers drop slightly, but they are still way above average.
Right now they are handing out anywhere from eight to 20 hampers a day, totalling more than 800 a month. The number of people who come in for a meal ranges from 55 to 105. The charity usually tops out at feeding 50 people a day.
Bergen said the food bank has not appealed to the city yet, but they have been asking the Saskatoon food bank to help them out.
With donations way down, he said it is time to take a different approach.
"We are hoping to go to some businesses where we can get a credit," he said, explaining the food hampers are getting smaller because they do not have enough food to fill them.
With the limited food and funds for the food bank, they are taking matters into their own hands. Tuesday is National Hunger Awareness Day and to raise awareness in Prince Albert, the Share A Meal/Food Bank will host a barbecue that day at its building at 64 11th St. E.
"It's a fundraiser for us to help buy more food," he said.
The food has all been donated, so all proceeds go to the organization.
Larry Krause will perform along with other entertainers, but Bergen did not have a list finalized.
There will be cheeseburgers and a drink sold for $5. It runs from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and again from 4-6 p.m.
