Updated: Wed Apr. 01 2009 18:15:55

ctvbc.ca

It's a bitterly cold morning in Surrey, B.C., while people wait at the food bank for their groceries.

About 1,000 people per day come through the doors of the food bank, and 41 per cent of them are children and babies.

Workers at the Surrey Food Bank say that over the past couple of months they've seen more people relying on the food bank for their basics.

"People in the food bank line are not what you think, they're our neighbours, they are people who are trying, who are struggling to put food on the table for the families," said Marilyn Herrmann, the food bank's director.

The food bank was started as a temporary measure 25 years ago, but now it's a necessity for many.

"Even as a working family, it's very hard to get groceries," says Kristina Young, who uses the food bank regularly.

Lana Lalonde also uses the food bank regularly. She was in foster homes as a teen and is now a single mom in her 20s.

When she lost her job, she went on income assistance. But in B.C., it's tougher to get off of welfare than it is to get into the program.

"It doesn't matter how hard you try to get ahead, you fall right back in the same hole, especially being a single mom," said Lalonde.

That's partly because the province deducts any income that a welfare recipient gets off of his or her welfare check. B.C. is the only province in Canada that deducts new income dollar for dollar, making it very difficult to get out of the assistance program.

Lalonde gets $925 per month for social assistance. Her rent is $675, leaving $250 per month for everything else.

She is determined to create a better life for her seven-year-old son.

"If I show him that I can do it that means that he can do it. I just got to keep going through the struggle. I have to just show him day after day that it will get better."

She's not sure when things will start getting better, but until that day comes she's glad that the Surrey Food Bank exists.

"If it wasn't here, I'd be really lost," says Lalonde.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Mi-Jung Lee.

Please Add Comments(6)

WestofTheRockies
C'mon Mi-Jung, you're going to report a story give us everything. But then I guess then it wouldn't be much of a story in your eyes.

First the title - B.C.’s Shame. Not mine and I’ve lived here all my life. As a tax payer I contribute to these peoples support in a large way.

This young women can get her rent subsidized by the B.C. Government so she doesn't pay more than 30% of her income & likely does. She gets support for her child to the tune of $400/month from the B.C. government as well as $100/month from the Feds.

Sure it's hard on her. She say's if you get a job you have to keep it - YAAAA, so do the rest of us.

She could get a job, her son is in school and even at $8.00/hr. she would be better off & doesn't have to give up any of the benefits noted above. All courtesy of your B.C. Government (you & me). Then, at the end of the year - BONUS - she gets all her income tax back. Oh yeah then there's the GST rebates.

And while she's at it, the B.C.Government will pay for her GED and any trade, or occupation training she wants to pursue.

This girl is not going to work regardless of whether the minimum wage is $8/hr or 10.

B.C. has had the lowest unemployment figures 40 years but somehow that is forgotten.

Reporting involves the facts, all of them! The convenient omission of many facts to support only one side of this story shows your obvious bias against the government and that's just not good reporting.

Jake
WestofTheRockies-- you need to get your facts straight. Sounds to me like you might be a liberal pawn here to sway the truth and judgment of the real deai with regards to social housing etc. It sounds to me like your a person of privilege and hasn't really had to work to hard for what you have. Maybe daddy's silver spoon has a lot to do with it. In this province the restrictions and pullback's by either the fed or prov governments is incredible. To get all these perks you so called speak of is in fact an non entity. When you make a buck you pay back a buck, that's the reality. Go to school and work at the same time--have you ever done that? Me thinks no on that one. So before you fire out a bunch of numbers check into the true reality of those numbers and then form an opinion. I smell a liberal rat here, and it has your label on it.

GMan
This is not BC's shame. Shame goes to these people who can't afford to have babies having babies. Poor planning on their part doesn't constitute shame on my province.

Annie
West of the Rockies - your response is bang-on! I couldn't help but notice some of the people in line who were trying to hide their faces...why? I was a single parent with 4 kids at a time when there were no food banks. I took advantage of the programs in place, got educated and landed a great, well paying job. Let's keep Workfare not welfare for the able bodied!

Max
Unemployment in BC is not at a record low. In fact, after jumping to 6.1% in January, the ranks of BC’s unemployed swelled by 14,200 in February, pushing the unemployment rate to 6.7%, its highest level in five years.

dave yelds
i think west of the Rockies should also get all the facts.for one government housing there is a 3 to 4 year waiting list as there is none available hence the homeless problem. an secondly all child support payments go to the welfare department an the custody parent does not see any of that.and if this woman is living on the 250 dollars left over this has to pay for hydro,phone,gas or buses which leaves what for her child? as for the hundred dollars from the feds well i wonder if this putz has ever gone clothes shopping for his children? yes dummy kids need clothes to an school stuff so if your so quick as to cut down mi-jung lee for lousy reporting how about looking at your self. i am lucky to have a job myself but my heart goes out to kristina young an all people like her in bc