More students, seniors turning to food banks, report says
Ontario Association of Food Banks says the number of first-time users is growing,
The Ontario Association of Food Banks is calling on the provincial government to do more to help people struggling to make ends meet.
The association released its annual Hunger Report this morning, which shows that more than 350,000 people in Ontario rely on food banks each month.
A growing number of students and seniors are also turning to food banks.
"For senior citizens, I think ... the rising cost of living is really having an effect on what they had planned for in terms of their retirement,” King said.
“So making ends meet after you thought you had enough has become even more challenging.”
King says the association is calling on the government to increase funding for social assistance programs.
"I think what struck us most is the number of first-time users accessing food banks,” she continued.
“In March alone, more than 17,000 of the individuals accessing food banks had never accessed a food bank before in their entire lives. This is actually a 20 per cent increase over last year."
Job insecurity leads to food insecurity
She noted part of the problem with making ends meet is that many people hold jobs which are temporary, and have no benefits or sick days
She said that has an impact on the employee’s entire family.
"Children are the largest group of food bank users,” King noted.
“They make up about 35 per cent of food bank users. Single-parent households are another large groups, as well as women and single-person households — so people who live alone."
She said the association is also asking for increased payments to social service programs.
"A lot of people don't recognize that, if you're a single person on Ontario Works, for example, you're really only receiving around $7,500 per year. You know, next to nothing."
How to help
This Friday, CBC is holding its annual "Sounds of the Season" event in support of local food banks. Superior Morning will broadcast live from the Regional Food Distribution Association on Syndicate Avenue in Thunder Bay.
People are invited to drop by during the show, or bring donations any time during the day.
For more information, including a list of recommended food item donations, go to cbc.ca/thunderbay and look for the snowflake.