No food in the cupboard: Salvation Army says Christmas need is at an all-time high in Saskatoon

"It breaks our hearts, because we've seen such an increase in demand."

Derek Kerr sat in his car outside a Salvation Army in 2012, feeling embarrassed.

The sick benefits from his private-sector job had run out. Bills were piling up, there wasn’t enough food in the house, and Christmas was coming.

He’d applied for a Christmas hamper, quite reluctantly, and they’d asked him to stop by and pick it up. He knew the package would be filled with ample food, including a turkey, and gifts for his children. He’d never done this before, but his family needed that hamper.