Food Banks face higher costs, lower donations as demand rises
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region has not been able to purchase the same volume or quality of food due to higher food prices, but the demand for usage has only been increasing.
This comes as a new report from Feed Ontario, formally the Ontario Association of Food Banks, said this is the sixth consecutive year that food bank use has increased across the province.
“At the grocery store bins, we are definitely down," said Kim Wilhelm, the interim CEO of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
The higher prices mean the food bank has to be more selective in their purchases.
“We needed to make a significant purchase of canned fruit, and the only canned fruit that we could get at the time was canned pineapple,” said Wilhelm.
Connie Becker has been volunteering to organize food at House of Friendship for nearly 20 years but has also been on the receiving side.
“Everyone needs help. That's just the way things are nowadays. There's no shame in it, some people think there is, but I think there's no shame in it,” said Becker.
Fellow volunteer Dean Schmidt said he also takes a food hamper home from time to time.
“With the way things are right now, it’s hard to be able to put food on the table,” said Schmidt.
Not only is food bank use on the rise, but the statistics of who is using food banks have also been shifting.
“When we talk about need and poverty, they are not always visible. We are seeing working families attend our food programs,” said Dauda Raji, community development manager at House of Friendship.
According to feed Ontario, which surveyed food bank users between April 2021 and March 2022, roughly 46 per cent said they needed assistance because of the cost of food.
Feed Ontario said the government needs to do more.
“The social safety net has been dismantled over time, and during this time of uncertainty, food banks are having to fill the gaps left by poor public policy decisions,” said Carolyn Stewart, Feed Ontario executive director.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.