There are many heartbreaking tales behind the record number of Canadians using food banks as they struggle with high inflation and mounting housing costs, says a Vancouver food bank executive.
害羞草研究所淲e see parents who are skipping meals so that their children can eat. We see people who haven害羞草研究所檛 eaten in days. We see seniors who haven害羞草研究所檛 had produce in months,害羞草研究所� said Cynthia Boulter, chief operating officer with Greater Vancouver Food Banks.
More and more people are accessing its services each year, and with greater frequency than in the past, Boulter said, as low wages and high rents squeeze people between inflation and other rising costs.
Boulter said the 害羞草研究所渦nprecedented, record-breaking times害羞草研究所� are being felt by food banks across the country, where nearly two million people visited in the month of March, 32 per cent more than the same month the year before, and a 78 per cent increase compared with March 2019.
The numbers, contained in Food Banks Canada害羞草研究所檚 annual Hunger Count report, highlight how Canadians are more food insecure than ever before as governments have seemingly ignored 害羞草研究所渂laring alarm bells,害羞草研究所� the report said.
The data was collected from food banks across Canada, and this year害羞草研究所檚 Hunger Count, as well as other studies, show more and more Canadians are 害羞草研究所渟truggling to pay for basic expenses, and that levels of food insecurity are rising dramatically.害羞草研究所�
Seniors, single mothers, low-income workers, people on social assistance, and immigrants continue to drive food bank use, but this year害羞草研究所檚 report showed a rise in use among working people in higher income brackets.
More than 40 per cent of users are on provincial social assistance programs, the report said, with stagnant payments thatput most recipients under the official poverty line.
Indigenous people are disproportionately represented among food bank users at 12 per cent, while making up around five per cent of the general population, the report said.
More than a quarter of food bank users are immigrants who have been in Canada for less than a decade, the report said, a usage rate that has doubled since 2016.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 one thing to look at a report filled with these big numbers,害羞草研究所� said Food Banks Canada害羞草研究所檚 CEO Kirstin Beardsley. 害羞草研究所淏ehind every single one of these numbers is a person, and I know what it takes for someone to get to the point where they害羞草研究所檙e turning to a food bank for help, and so you replicate that two million times in a single month and it害羞草研究所檚 heartbreaking.害羞草研究所�
Beardsley said that those in the food bank sector across the country say the explosive growth in usage numbers are 害羞草研究所渦nsustainable.害羞草研究所�
Political action, she said, means that governments need to make 害羞草研究所渓ong term social policy investments,害羞草研究所� from action on affordable housing to increasing fixed income rates.
害羞草研究所淭hese are investments in our ability to thrive as a nation,害羞草研究所� she said.
As the affordability crisis has intensified, Beardsley said, people who work at food banks 害羞草研究所渜uite frankly, are shouldering too much of this burden.害羞草研究所�
Food bank usage is a 害羞草研究所渜uiet problem害羞草研究所� where many people 害羞草研究所渟uffer in silence,害羞草研究所� she said, and only widespread public outrage will drive the political courage to create meaningful change.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e not talking about a small investment in the future of this country,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲hat really drives political courage, to be honest, is everyday folks like you and I getting mad enough to make this a ballot issue, to make this an issue at the election, to not let our elected officials at every level of government off the hook anymore.害羞草研究所�
Even as the report paints a grim picture, Beardsley said food banks remain places of 害羞草研究所渉ope,害羞草研究所� where communities come together to lift up those in need.
For those in the food bank sector to be ultimately successful would mean no more need for them, and they害羞草研究所檙e essentially hoping to work themselves 害羞草研究所渙ut of a job,害羞草研究所� she said.
Until then, Beardsley said, 害羞草研究所渢here害羞草研究所檚 no choice but to keep raising our voices, telling our stories, sharing the data, and if we害羞草研究所檝e got a whole country behind us, I don害羞草研究所檛 think we can be ignored.害羞草研究所�
READ ALSO:
READ ALSO:
