The Inn of the Good Shepherd is starting to notice the effects of Canada's ongoing tariff dispute with the United States.
The organization is also experiencing an increase in demand as it holds its annual Easter Food Drive.
Executive Director Myles Vanni said they're going through about 60,000 pounds of food each month, while serving about 2,200 people.
He said there are serious concerns about the impact of tariffs.
"Families are already struggling with the higher cost of food to begin with," said Vanni. "When you hear stories like tin cans are coming in from the states to put food into, but they're going to have tariffs on them. The steel we send over there to make the tin cans is also going to have tariffs on it. So, there's a worry about what's going to happen with the price of food."
Vanni said usually when there are price increases, it impacts us twice.
"We have more people needing help and we see less donations coming in just because they don't have as much left over after buying their own groceries to put a few things in the barrel on the way out of the store."
Vanni said they're mostly in need of things like cereal, canned and dry pasta, sauce, canned fruit, and a lot of hygiene items like shampoo, razors and deodorant.
He said thankfully they're in relatively good shape after receiving over 31,000 pounds of food from the recent CANstruction event at Lambton Mall.
Donations can be dropped off until Monday, April 28 at local grocery stores and firehalls.
They can also be taken to the Inn at 115 John St. or the Good Shepherd's Lodge at 950 Confederation St.
In March, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced a 25 per cent tax on $29.8 billion worth of American goods in response to the U.S.'s 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including those from Canada.
Canada's tariffs impact $12.6 billion of American steel, $3 billion of American aluminum, and $14.2 million of additional U.S. goods.
This includes computers, cast iron products, and sports equipment.