The Edmonton Food Bank is seeing a dramatic increase in the number of people who need food hampers -- this July, almost 21,000 people required food hampers, a 50% increase from the 14,000 individuals who needed hampers in July 2015, indicating an increase in absolute poverty. Through surveys, the food bank discovered that nearly 20% more users earn less than $25 000 per year, which is below Canada’s median income and right around Canada’s low-income cut-off. It also discovered that of those working (also considered as the working poor), almost 60% are employed as part-time, casual or seasonal. Following the release of this survey, the food bank created Beyond Food, a program that helps clients with English and math upgrading, job search support such as resumes, interviewing skills, safety tickets, first-aid training and budgeting. Though the program’s success is difficult to measure, program manager David Berger said he did hear people getting jobs as a result of working with them.