A report was made recently about food banks across Canada, noting there's a spike in usage, except in Ontario and Manitoba. Portage la Prairie Salvation Army Major Brenda Coles has good news about the local program.

"When I heard about that survey, I did do some checking on our numbers here in Portage just to see how we compare. Portage la Prairie is holding its own. We haven't seen significant increase or decrease. That's kind of flat, but it still means there's a number of people who need help. But we're not seeing a spike in that number which is good."

Coles says there's another statistic that is concerning, as more younger, single adult faces are in the lineups, and she doesn't understand why. She adds you'd think young, single adults would be able to fend for themselves more than anyone else. Coles says they'll be looking into that in the future to learn what it means for Portage.

She explains the Jingle Bell Breakfast, in support of the food bank, usually takes place the first Friday of December, but there's no school that day this year. Coles notes they've re-scheduled the event for the day before, making it Thursday, December 1st at the William Glesby Centre.

Even though the stats are good for Portage, there are still about 600 households who'll come to the food bank for help. Many of them will be single parents with children, and other families with children. These hampers provide the stability to carry many of them, through this stressful time of year. Shs calls the Jingle Bell Breakfast a great boost for their food and toys.