The Executive Director of Chatham Outreach for Hunger says there is an increase in people in need in the area.
Brenda LeClair says outreach has increased 47 per cent this year and the need will continue.
On Thursday, December 22 the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association and the Chatham Outreach for Hunger received $102,534 to share among 16 food banks in the region.
This donation was raised by the Sleighing Hunger Charity Concert.
LeClair says 47 per cent is a huge increase from last year.
"Going day to day we see more and more people coming in, so we knew we were getting busier but it wasn't until I sat down and did the year-end that I realized how extensive it was."
LeClair says the recent donation will assist them greatly.
"100 per cent of it goes into purchasing food and we try to purchase nutritional food as well as pre-packed lunches for all the school kids and we want to make sure they have nutritious food in those bags as well."
She says she expects more challenges in the New Year.
"The increase of food, 5 to 7 per cent come the New Year, that's certainly going to impact our low-income families the cost of housing in Chatham-Kent, the cost of affordable housing and the lack of it is impacting this."
Chatham Outreach for Hunger is a non-profit charitable organization that served over 5,400 households in 2021.
The holiday concert takes place on Thursday, December 29 at 8 p.m. in The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor.
The event was originally going to be on December 23 but was postponed due to weather conditions.
With files from AM800's Rob Hindi