More than 60,000 Manitobans are now relying on food banks every month, as demand for emergency food assistance has more than doubled over the past five years.

Harvest Manitoba's latest annual report found 61,188 people accessed a food bank in March, while an average of 24,880 households sought assistance each month during the past year. Nearly half of those receiving help were children.

The number of households using food banks has more than doubled since 2020, when Harvest was distributing approximately 11,000 hampers per month.

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“Food banks have become, sadly, a way of life for thousands of Manitoba families,” Harvest Manitoba president and CEO Vince Barletta told Global News.

The organization distributed more than 13 million pounds of food during the 2025-26 fiscal year, including approximately 8.7 million pounds received through donations. Harvest spent more than $14.8 million supporting its clients and programs.

The surge isn't limited to people without jobs. Harvest says families, working Manitobans and seniors are increasingly turning to food banks as household costs squeeze budgets.

The organization's figures show the scale of the increase has continued even as the rate of growth has slowed. Food Banks Canada's 2025 HungerCount recorded 64,975 food bank visits in Manitoba during its reporting period, up 17.1 per cent in a single year and 97 per cent compared with 2021.

Pressure is also spilling into Manitoba schools.

The Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba says schools are seeing increased participation in food programs while simultaneously struggling with higher grocery costs.

Harvest Manitoba now operates through a network of roughly 400 food banks and community organizations across the province and distributed more than six million kilograms of food during its latest fiscal year.

Despite record levels of donations, demand continues to grow.