Increasing number of seniors turning to London Food Bank services, co-director says

The number of senior citizens accessing food bank services in London is climbing steadily, and rose significantly in the last year, according to the London Food Bank.

A 10 per cent jump in seniors visiting the food bank over the last year is alarming, and a full display of the increasingly difficult situation many Canadians are finding themselves in as living costs rise across the board, according to Glen Pearson, one of the London Food Bank's co-directors.

"We've been at this almost 40 years now, but for years seniors were a pretty stable population," Pearson said.

However, in recent years, rising rental costs, fixed pensions and seniors losing their partners have all been listed as reasons people are seeking the food bank's services, he said.

The trend comes as part of a larger one that's seen reliance on food banks surge across the country, and has over 5,000 families relying on London's local service each month. On top of that, more social agencies are relying on the food bank to do their jobs, with at least 17 being added to their list of partners this spring alone.

"I don't see the number of seniors we see going down at any point soon. I think that with everything else in the economy that's going on, there's no fundamental changes that are going to affect any of that over the course of the next year or two anyway," Pearson said.

In his opinion, there's not enough being done at any level of government to change the status quo and make life — and food — more affordable.

"When I was in politics for five years in Ottawa, when we saw a problem like this emerging, all the parties would try to look at what needs to be done for that group. I think seniors, though, have been overlooked," said Pearson, who is the former MP for London North Centre.

"The senior population is far more vulnerable than people have realized. People living longer means they have ailments longer."

Things often overlooked include dietary requirements due to issues like diabetes and high blood pressure, or transportation issues due to age-related movement problems, Pearson said.

That's why partnerships with agencies like Meals on Wheels have been so important. They work with the food bank to provide food deliveries based on individual needs to people in need, including seniors with limited mobility.

"About four years ago it was 4,000 meals a year. Now it's almost 10,000," said Chad Callander, the executive director of Meals on Wheels London.

"When you're talking about seniors, a lot of them are socially isolated, so you're not necessarily seeing that. I think that number right there goes to show that there definitely is a need for individuals in our community."

Callander's worries for the future align closely with those shared by food banks and non-profits across the country, as well as Pearson. 

At the top of that list of worries is the ever-increasing demand for their services that doesn't seem to be slowing down, and the resulting difficulties in serving everyone in need, he said.

The situation in London is mirrored across the province, Callander said. He reports an increase from 115,000 meals to roughly 130,000 meals in two years across Meals on Wheels's Ontario divisions.

The increasing need for food bank services across the province, including for seniors, is confirmed by the province's food bank collective.

"The number of seniors that are relying on food banks increased about 26 per cent over the previous year. It's doubled since 2017 or 2018," said Carolyn Stewart, the CEO of Feed Ontario, who said seniors account for between seven and eight per cent of food bank users.

"[Seniors are] on a very set budget every month with no new income. When costs increase, they get left behind."

Stories like these are exactly why Stewart says she's so adamant about policymakers stepping up to ensure people don't have to rely on food banks.

"Change is possible, but we all need to be willing to do it," she said.