Feed Ontario has released its Annual Hunger report and indicates the number of people who used food banks throughout the province went up 38%- the largest single-year increase recorded by the network.
Between April 1st, 2022 and March 31st, 2023- more than 800,000 people in Ontario turned to emergency food support, for a total of more than 5.9 million visits.
Locally, the statistics are just as jarring shared Karen McDade, General Manager of the St. Thomas Elgin Food Bank.
Even more concerning is the fact that the food bank will reach anywhere from 18,000 to 19,000 individuals served by year end- numbers they never thought they’d see.
McDade says that with this uptick, they’ve had to change the way in which they purchase products.
A major driver of this extraordinary growth across the province came from people who had never had to rely on a food bank before, with 2 in 5 people being first-time visitors- a 41 % increase over the previous year.
McDade says a day rarely goes by where they don’t welcome a new client in St. Thomas-Elgin.
The Feed Ontario report highlights that food bank use has been increasing for the last seven consecutive years and points to the progressive growth of precarious work, an erosion of our social support programs, and a failure to invest in affordable and supportive housing as the longstanding drivers.
More recently, the spiraling cost of living crisis has made it even more difficult for people in Ontario to stretch their already stretched income any further to afford their basic necessities.
McDade says this has lead residents to make some difficult decisions.
In addition to the challenges being faced by Ontarians, the report discusses the challenges being faced by food banks as they struggle to meet this surge in demand.
Primarily it notes that food banks were designed to respond in emergency situations, providing support for a short period of time to help get people back on their feet. They were never intended to be a long-term solution or to fill the gaps created by income insecurity and decreased affordability.
McDade says the situation is heartbreaking.
As stressed in the report, food banks are not immune to the financial challenges being faced by Ontarians.
As the need in communities continues to grow, it is outpacing the available food and financial resources that food banks rely on to provide service. As a result, more food banks are having to make the difficult decision to reduce service, and some are even worried that they will have to shut down completely.
McDade hopes that will never be the case locally but does stress that the need for support is real.
To download a full copy of the 2023 Feed Ontario Hunger Report, or to find out more about food banks in Ontario, click here.
Written by: K. Freeman
