Carol’s Cupboard, a Hamilton kosher food bank is gearing up for its annual fundraiser on Feb. 25, as the need for donations is growing. The food bank says the number of families in need has more than doubled. The money they hope to raise will be used to keep the shelves stocked.

Struggling to pay for food is getting more common. Rachel Bernholtz of Hamilton Jewish Family Services says, “we’ve gone from 45 people to over 100 families so that breaks down into even more individuals.”

Last year food bank visits to Carol’s Cupboard increased by over 84 per cent and Bernholtz says she expects that to be even higher this year. Especially with inflation and the interest rate hike.

While there are more people in need, the donations are dropping down leaving shelves empty which is why they say raising money from their annual wine-tasting fundraiser is crucial. Their goal this year is to raise $36,000.