OUR
IMPACT
REGINA'S LARGEST DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDER, SUPPORTING THOSE FACING FOOD INSECURITY.
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Food insecurity remains a critical health issue in Regina, affecting over 25,000 people daily. The Regina Food Bank has evolved since 1982 from offering short-term relief to becoming an essential partner in combating hunger in our community. In 2023-2024, we served 19,974 unique individuals - a 21.7% increase from the previous year - distributing 84,988 hampers and over 3.2 million pounds of healthy, quality food.
52.5% of those served were women, accounting for 86,683 points of service. This underscores the importance of addressing food insecurity among female-led households.
Children continue to be a significant portion of those in need, with 38% of our services (63,130 points of service) going to support young people under 18. This highlights the critical role the Food Bank plays in supporting families and ensuring children have access to proper nutrition. The Food Bank is also an important resource for newcomers to Canada, with 36% of our services (60,148 points of service) supporting individuals who have been in the country for less
than 10 years. This demonstrates our commitment to helping new residents establish themselves in our community.
Indigenous peoples make up 19% of those we serve (30,623 points of service), reflecting our ongoing efforts to address food insecurity among First Nations and Métis populations.
Seniors, while representing a smaller percentage, still account for 10% of our services (15,653 points of service), highlighting the ongoing need to support our older community members.
These statistics illustrate the wide-ranging impact of food insecurity in Regina and the diverse groups that rely on the Regina Food Bank's services. Our goal is to continue addressing these needs while working towards reducing these numbers in the future.
Food insecurity remains a critical health issue in Canada, closely linked to poor health outcomes and hindering psychological, social, and emotional well-being. In Saskatchewan, over one in eight households and more than 38% of children experience food insecurity, with numbers rising as families struggle with the high cost of living. Since 1982, the Regina Food Bank has evolved from offering short-term relief to becoming an essential partner in combating hunger in our community.
We're committed to addressing the root causes of food insecurity through innovative programs, sustainable food systems, and partnerships with local producers and businesses. By amplifying the voices of those we serve, our agency partners, donors, and volunteers, we continuously improve our services to meet Regina's changing needs. As we face ongoing economic challenges, we're dedicated to ensuring every resident has access to nutritious, affordable food.
VOLUNTEER
& STAFF
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​16,537 VOLUNTEER HOURS
56,550 STAFF HOURS
FUND CONTRIBUTION SOURCES
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$3,118,901 TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS
ALLOCATION OF
RESOURCES
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$1,918,732 SPENT ON PROGRAMMING
FOOD
HAMPERS
PROGRAM DISCUSSION
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The Food Hamper Program remains the core activity of the Regina Food Bank as we fight hunger and feed hope. In 2023-2024, we distributed 84,988 hampers, a 13% increase from the previous year, serving 66,164 households - a 17% increase. Food Hampers are designed to meet the immediate needs of people facing food insecurity. They are provided in person at the Regina Food Bank, by delivery or through our network of 119 community agency partners and schools. Those we serve can receive a Food Hamper every two weeks, containing an assortment of food items providing 7 to 10 days' worth of food based on the household's size. The composition of each hamper strives to meet Canada's Food Guide.
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CAUSES
Food insecurity in Canada continues to be prominent. In Regina, some reports indicate that as many as 22% of residents do not have full access to food¹. The situation has worsened, with food bank usage in Canada increasing by 76%² over the last 5 years, reaching the highest level ever recorded. Economic pressures due to the increasing cost of living continue to exacerbate food insecurity.
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[1] City of Regina. (2021) Regina's Community Safety & Well-being (CSWB) Plan: 53-54
[2] Food Banks Canada. (2023). Hunger Count. Retrieved from
https://www.foodbankscanada.ca/HungerCount
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EFFECTS
Food insecurity is strongly linked to poor physical and mental health outcomes¹, including an increased risk of chronic diseases, which in turn puts additional strain on the Canadian healthcare system. Research indicates that food insecurity contributes to higher rates of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, as well as mental health issues like anxiety and depression². Additionally, households experiencing food insecurity often face
barriers to accessing adequate medical care, exacerbating these health problems and further burdening healthcare services³â€‹.
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[1] Tarasuk V, Fafard St-Germain A, Li T. Moment of reckoning for household food insecurity monitoring in Canada. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada. 2022;42(10):445-9
[2] Li F, Parthasarathy N, Zhang F, Chuang R, Mathur M, Pomeroy M, et al. Food Insecurity and Health-Related Concerns Among Elementary Schoolteachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Preventing Chronic Disease 2022; retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2022/21_0392.html
[3] Loftus EI, Lachaud J, Hwang SW, Mejia-Lancheros C. Food insecurity and mental health outcomes among homeless adults: a scoping review. Public Health Nutrition.
2021;24(7):retrieved from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/food-insecurity-and-mental-health-outcomes-among-homeless-adults-a-scoping-review/A67532837D978D47DAFDD115566613E3
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WHO IS AFFECTED
The Food Hamper Program serves a diverse population:
- 52.5% of those served are women
- 38% are children
- 36% have been in Canada for less than 10 years
- 19% are Indigenous peoples
- 10% are seniors
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In total, we served 19,974 unique individuals in 2023-2024, a 21.7% increase from the previous year. This data underscores the widespread impact of food insecurity in our community and the critical role of the Regina Food Bank in addressing this growing need.
OUTPUTS
AND OUTCOMES
​
Food Hampers provide clients in temporary emergency situations with 7 to 10 days worth of food. In 2023-2024, we distributed 84,988 hampers, a 13% increase from the previous year, serving 66,164 households. We distributed $11,081,576 worth of food, up 16.2% from last year. Our total points of service reached 204,161, a 16% increase from the previous year.
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GOALS
For 2024-2025, we have set the following targets:
- Increase our total points of service to 224,577
- Source 20% of our food through local producer partnerships
- Reduce waste sent to landfill by 100,000 lbs
- Maintain donor retention at 61%, significantly above the national average
- Complete standardized agency partner reviews for 100% of our partners
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SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES
We continue to relieve immediate food insecurity and provide support for those experiencing it. In the past year, we distributed $11,081,576 worth of healthy, quality food, an increase of 16.26% from the previous year, ensuring more nutritious food reaches those in need.
LONG-TERM OUTCOMES
Our ultimate goal remains creating a hunger-free community. We're working towards this by:
- Implementing innovative solutions to address hunger, including expanding our School Food Program
- Strengthening connections with local farmers and producers
- Developing a multi-year capital budget to manage our assets effectively
- Enhancing our volunteer program with new roles in the Community Food Hub
- Evaluating the effectiveness of our community partnerships
- Developing strategies to reduce food waste and improve the efficiency of our food distribution
LEARNINGS
​
Our ongoing program evaluation activities and recent data have led to several key learnings:
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We need to further amplify the voices of those we serve. We're developing methodologies to create standardized estimates of total people facing food insecurity at any given time, which will help us better understand and address community needs.
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Our client base is diverse, with 52.5% women, 38% children, 36% newcomers to Canada (less than 10 years), 19% Indigenous peoples, and 10% seniors. This diversity requires us to continually adapt our services to meet varying needs.
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Volunteer engagement is crucial. We've seen a significant increase in volunteer hours (16,537 hours in 2023-2024), and we aim to reach 22,500 hours in the coming year. The Community Food Hub will offer new volunteer roles, further enhancing community involvement.
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We need to innovate our food distribution model. We're developing a measure to reduce the percentage of clients receiving food they don't use, which will inform the efficacy of our choice model program.
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Local partnerships are key to our success. We've increased food sourced through local producer partnerships to 17.6% and aim for 20% in the coming year. We're also standardizing our agency partner review process to ensure effective resource allocation.
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Sustainability is a growing focus. We've set a target to reduce waste sent to landfill by 100,000 lbs, demonstrating our commitment to environmental responsibility alongside our core mission.
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We're developing new strategies to improve our operations, including a multi-year capital budget, an indigenous employment strategy, and formalized career development plans for staff.
DESCRIPTIONS
AND DEFINITIONS
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UNIQUE CLIENTS
This is calculated by counting all members of the household only once, irrespective of their number of visits to the program.
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POINTS OF SERVICE
This is calculated using the total number of individuals who are supported and include those who make multiple visits to the food bank in a year.
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REFERRALS TO AGENCIES
A referral out is where a client, calling into the Regina Food Bank, is provided with information about community supports that can help address their underlying root cause of food insecurity. Clients may receive a referral at anytime they call our call centre, they do not necessarily have to book an hamper in order to receive a referral to an agency.
CLIENTS HELPED BY AGENCIES
A critical part of the Emergency Food Hamper program’s theory is that the clients build connections and receive referrals to available community services for their needs.
WHAT’S IN A
HAMPER?
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Based on the Canada’s Food Guide Hampers contain a balanced variety of food including fresh dairy, fresh and frozen protein, fresh and canned vegetables, shelf stable dry goods and breads and grains. They contain 7 to 10 days food, and a hamper typically contains the following content:
Canned Soup x2
Canned protein x3
Dry pasta x2
Crackers x1
Cereal Bars x 1
Cookies x1
Fresh Vegetables (3 types)
Fresh fruit (2 types)
Dairy x3
Protein (approx 2lbs)
Bread x1
Pastries x1
Misc x 2
TOTAL POINTS OF SERVICE AGE BREAKDOWN
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52.5% OF THOSE SERVED ARE WOMEN (86,683 POINTS OF SERVICE)
10% OF THOSE SERVED ARE SENIORS (15,653 POINTS OF SERVICE)
19% OF THOSE SERVED ARE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (30,623 POINTS OF SERVICE)
36% OF THOSE SERVED HAVE BEEN IN CANADA FOR LESS THAN 10 YEARS (60,148
POINTS OF SERVICE)
38% OF THOSE SERVED ARE CHILDREN (63,130 POINTS OF SERVICE)
NON-FOOD
RECLAIMATION
PROGRAM DISCUSSION
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The Non-Food Reclamation Program works directly with retail partners, acting as a centralized distribution hub for essential non-food products. These include hygiene items, household cleaning essentials, kitchen and food storage items, school supplies, and baby products. Towards the end of our fiscal we started to accept large household appliances and mattresses as well. We distribute these items to our agency partners to ensure they reach those in need most effectively.
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CAUSES
While addressing the immediate food needs of those facing food insecurity is the mission critical activity of the Regina Food Bank, we have been able to create a supply chain for non-food items. By distributing these items in the community, we can create additional supports for those facing food insecurity by sourcing and distributing product and reduce over expense burden on a individual or household.
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EFFECTS
By provide goods with along with the provision of food we can support greater autonomy in those we serve. For some it means that staple non-food items are available that would otherwise be unattainable, for others it allows for a shift in spending patterns as household items are available to them.
WHO IS AFFECTED
Agencies that support and distribute non food items to population in need. Unlike the Food Hamper Program, the Retail Reclamation program does not directly connect with the food insecure population receiving the hampers. We work with agencies that are based in Regina and work cooperatively to get products out to the people in need in our community. We rely on qualitative reporting by the agencies accessing the program to evaluate the impact. According to the reporting by the agencies, the largest segment of the target population that received product are categorized as moderately or severely food insecure.
OUTPUTS
AND OUTCOMES
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The Non-Food Reclamation Program food insecurity by providing the short-term relief of hunger to those living rough. The root causes of long-term hunger are also addressed as clients are given hampers by organizations which provide support for individuals experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. The food acts as a connector and allows agencies to work with individuals to transition them out of poverty. This program reduces poverty by relieving some financial and mental strain on those living rough and allowing individuals to use the funds and resources to move into a stable shelter situation. We collaborate with 12 non-profit agencies that are working with the homeless population.
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GOALS
The goals for the program are to be within 10%, plus or minus in the coming fiscal year. We are projecting for 2023/24, the total pounds of product distributed to be between 57,196 and 69,906 lbs. We aim to hold steady on our agency count and keep it at 119.
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SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES
Supplying non-food products to partner organizations enhances community impact. These organizations save time and money on procurement, allowing them to invest in areas of greater impact. By providing these products for free, we give people more autonomy and comprehensive support, increasing the capacity to help those facing food insecurity.
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LONG-TERM OUTCOMES
Creating a hunger-free community.
LEARNINGS
​
We participate in numerous program evaluation activities that have led to a number of learnings: Our network of community agency partners and schools grew to 119, allowing us to reach more people in need. There may be a limit to rate of growth this program can achieve.
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We need to define to a greater extent what the impact is for our non food program. We will be launching a new Partnership Collaboration Index (PCI) this year.
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Every product has a use for someone! Don’t discount or place a label on the use of an item as it holds value for someone. When I sign up a new organization, I always tell them “Your imagination is the only thing that will hold you back”
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Products have incredible flexibility when grouped effectively. For example creating packages of equipment needed for cooking classes and giving it to participants can be a more empowering way to distribute than dispersing the individual tools.
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The Reclamation program has potential to be a key enabler to effective distribution of bulk food products that can be effectively used by community partners but are present barriers to household use.
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Be open to change to meet the needs of the community. The program evolves and changes to meet the volume of demand.
SCHOOL FOOD
PROGRAM
PROGRAM DISCUSSION
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The Regina School Food Program is a comprehensive initiative designed to address food insecurity among students and promote academic success. This multi-faceted program includes a Lunch Program, School Pantry, Weekend Snack Kit, and Summer Hamper Program, each targeting different aspects of student nutrition and well-being.
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The Lunch Program ensures that every student has access to a healthy lunch, delivered weekly, recognizing that proper nutrition is crucial for learning and concentration. The School Pantry and Weekend Snack Kit programs extend support beyond school hours, providing ingredients for family meals and nutritious snacks for weekends. These components not only address immediate hunger but also aim to improve school attendance¹, particularly on Fridays when attendance is typically lowest. Research has shown that consistent school attendance is a key factor in academic perseverance² and long-term educational success³ .
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​Chang, H. N., & Romero, M. (2008). Present, engaged, and accounted for: The critical importance of addressing chronic absence in the early grades. National Center for Children in Poverty.
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Balfanz, R., Herzog, L., & Mac Iver, D. J. (2007). Preventing student disengagement and keeping students on the graduation path in urban middle-grades schools: Early identification and effective interventions. Educational Psychologist, 42(4), 223-235.
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Ready, D. D. (2010). Socioeconomic disadvantage, school attendance, and early cognitive development: The differential effects of school exposure. Sociology of Education, 83(4), 271-286.
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By offering the Summer Hamper Program, the initiative maintains a connection between students and community supports during the summer months, helping to mitigate the 'summer slide'¹ in academic skills often experienced by food-insecure students. This year-round approach underscores the program's commitment to using food as an enabler of academic success and a promoter of regular school attendance². Through partnerships with school boards and community organizations, the Regina School Food Program exemplifies a collaborative effort to ensure that no student's education is hindered by hunger³.
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​Alexander, K. L., Entwisle, D. R., & Olson, L. S. (2007). Lasting consequences of the summer learning gap. American Sociological Review, 72(2), 167-180.
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Allington, R. L., & McGill-Franzen, A. (2003). The impact of summer setback on the reading achievement gap. Phi Delta Kappan, 85(1), 68-75.
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Quinn, D. M., & Polikoff, M. (2017). Summer learning loss: What is it, and what can we do about it? Brookings Institution.
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CAUSES
Addressing the causes of food insecurity in schools requires a multifaceted approach that not only provides immediate food assistance but also addresses the broader systemic issues contributing to food insecurity. Programs like Regina Food bank School Food Program can help mitigate some of these challenges, supporting better educational outcomes for food-insecure students.
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EFFECTS
Food insecurity significantly impacts educational outcomes, creating a complex web of challenges for students. The primary causes of these issues include:
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Cognitive impairment: Hunger and malnutrition can lead to decreased concentration, memory issues, and slower cognitive processing. This directly affects a student's ability to learn, understand, and retain information in the classroom.
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Attendance problems: Food-insecure students often have higher rates of absenteeism. This may be due to health issues related to poor nutrition, or because students are too embarrassed to come to school without lunch or proper clothing.
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Behavioral issues: Hunger can cause irritability, anxiety, and mood swings. These behavioral changes can disrupt the learning environment and lead to disciplinary actions, further impacting educational progress.
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Physical health problems: Chronic malnutrition can result in weakened immune systems, leading to more frequent illnesses and extended absences from school.
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Psychosocial stress: The constant worry about where the next meal will come from can create significant stress for students, distracting them from their studies and affecting their mental health.
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Limited participation in extracurricular activities: Food-insecure students may be unable to participate in after-school programs or sports due to lack of energy or the need to work or care for siblings.
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Reduced academic aspirations: Persistent food insecurity can lead to lower self-esteem and reduced educational aspirations, as students may feel that higher education is out of reach due to their circumstances.
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Summer learning loss: During school breaks, especially summer, food-insecure students may experience more significant academic setbacks due to lack of access to school meal programs and educational resources.
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Parental stress and involvement: Food insecurity affects entire families. Parents struggling with food insecurity may have less time or energy to engage in their children's education, affecting homework help and school involvement.
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Social stigma: The shame associated with food insecurity can lead to social isolation, affecting a student's ability to form supportive peer relationships crucial for academic success.
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WHO IS AFFECTED
Food insecurity in a school setting affects a diverse range of students, crossing socioeconomic, racial, and geographic boundaries. While it's often associated with low-income families, the reality is more complex:
Children from all backgrounds can experience food insecurity, including those from working families struggling with rising living costs, single-parent households, families facing sudden job loss or medical emergencies, and students in foster care. Indigenous students, newcomers to Canada, and visible minorities often face higher rates of food insecurity due to systemic barriers and historical disadvantages. Moreover, the effects extend beyond the food-insecure students themselves. Their classmates, teachers, and the broader school community are also impacted as hunger affects classroom dynamics, learning environments, and overall school performance.
OUTPUTS
AND OUTCOMES
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GOALS
To support schools in the Regina Public and Catholic School Systems by addressing gaps in student access to healthy and nutritious food. The School Food Program mitigates the risks of program duplication with other agencies by using the school boards to assign services to selected schools.
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SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES
Students have greater access to food both during the school year and over the summer months. This will create the environment for:
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More consistent attendance during the school year.
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Early attendance in the school year by supporting year long connection to school.
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Reduction of the negative impact of food scarcity on academic performance.
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LONG-TERM OUTCOMES
Higher rate of school perseverance and ultimately academic achievement. Increasing the likelihood of breaking the cycle of food insecurity going forward.
LEARNINGS
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​We participate in numerous program evaluation activities that have led to several learnings:
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Demand fluctuates, with school needs changing yearly and even throughout the
academic year, so program deliverables must be adaptable.
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It is important to remember that when providing food to a child in school you have a
responsibility to extend that support to the family as well.
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Programs have significant ability to grow based on demand.
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Removing Regina Food bank from program title and allowing individual schools to name
the program has been an effective tool to reduce stigma.