Manitoulin Food Bank in agreement
MANITOULIN—Food Bank Canada (FBC) released bleak new polling data on August 22 that shows 35 percent of Canadians feel worse off financially than they did three months ago. And the increase in use of food banks is being seen by the Manitoulin Food Bank.
“The statistics and number of users of the food bank are up, but the donations of food and money are down,” said Vanessa Glasby, who manages the food security program at Manitoulin Family Resources (MFR). “I think a lot of those folks in middle class, for example, which used to have an extra $20 to give to the food bank don’t have the money to do this anymore.”
“Generally, we have seen a steady increase in use of the food bank, at least 35 percent throughout the year,” said Colleen Hill, executive director of MFR. “We are preparing for even more support and have noticed a definite increase in demand.”
Food Bank chief executive officer Kirstin Beardsley says the new findings, coupled with recent research from Statistics Canada, underscore the urgent need for action from all levels of government including the introduction of a Groceries and Essentials Benefit to stop Canada’s growing hunger crisis and make sure that every person in Canada can afford their basic needs.
“If the newest StatsCan projections come true, the food bank system will not be able to support the tidal wave of people needing support,” shared Ms. Beardsley. “The food banking network was never meant to be able to support a quarter of people in Canada. It is a frightening scenario laid out by StatsCan, for so many people struggling to make ends meet, one that needs urgent attention from governments across the country.”
“People just don’t have the money they had in the past to help support the food banks as they have,” said Ms. Hill. “And we see an increase in people who have jobs using the food bank. Compensation (pay) has not kept up with inflation and the increased cost of food and everything else.”
The newly released information from the Food Banks poll conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights confirms that more than a third of people in Canada (35 percent) feel worse off financially than they did three months ago. Among those who report their financial well-being has worsened over the past three months, almost half (47 percent) of those include those with incomes below $50,000 a year; 43 percent or people who identify as visible minorities and 42 percent of Millennials.
Together with its network of 5,100 food banks and community organizations, FBC is encouraging everyone in Canada to use their voice and get involved in the fight against hunger and poverty, as demand continues to soar at Canada’s struggling food banks.
Ms. Hill said as an example of the need for the local food bank, “historically we have not opened the food bank in the evening. Now we are open Wednesdays from 4-8 pm to accommodate people who work during the day. The food bank is also open Tuesday from 10 am to 2 pm and Friday from 10 am to 2 pm. We are seeing firsthand the huge increase in need for food banks across Canada, while donations of food are down because people that normally donated food in the past are now needing that food themselves and for their families.”
“Food banks and Canadians are bracing for a cruel fall,” said Ms. Beardsley. “As more Canadians face unprecedented levels of financial hardship, food banks are desperately trying to keep up with skyrocketing demand. This is not sustainable. But that doesn’t have to be Canada’s future. Food banks alone are not the solution to addressing poverty in Canada. We need urgent intervention from all levels of government to help address and reverse the trend of increasing hunger and food insecurity in Canada. A brighter future is possible and we urge every Canadian to use their voice and join the call for changes.”
