Feed Ontario has reported that over one million Ontarians visited a food bank last year and is calling on the government for action.
The number of people visiting a food bank in the province has risen 25 per cent since last year and there has been an alarming increase in visits since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
September is ‘Hunger Action Month’ and Feed Ontario is taking the opportunity to educate the public about food insecurity.
The organization reports that the main drivers of food insecurity and poverty are the rising cost of living and the quality of work and income.
Carolyn Stewart with Feed Ontario says many Ontarians are left with making “impossible choices when it comes to food and bills” and turn to food banks as a result.
Food banks are also feeling the pressure.
Nearly 70 per cent of food banks are concerned about not having enough supply and over 50 per cent worry about not having enough funds to meet their demands.
Feed Ontario is calling on the government to put stronger poverty reduction strategies in place to help with the affordability crisis.
The organization is the province’s largest collective of hunger-relief organizations and works with food banks, industry partners and local communities to address and end poverty and hunger.