'The person using food bank services is increasingly someone with a full-time job, maybe even seated in the cubicle across from yours'
Food inflation hit 10.8 per cent this past August, its highest level since 1981. As grocery prices soar, a growing number of Torontonians are turning to food banks for help.is an Etobicoke-based food bank that collects and delivers essentials to 183 programs citywide. CEO Neil Hetherington has watched demand for Daily Bread’s services reach record highs almost every month this year—and the need isn’t letting up any time soon.
How has food inflation, compounded with the lingering effects of Covid, affected the demand for food banks in Toronto? We’re in the midst of a crisis. Before Covid, Daily Bread’s network of food programs was getting about 60,000 visits from clients per month. Since the start of the pandemic, that number has tripled to 180,000. On average, each visitor is supporting 1.7 members of their household, so the real number of people in need of our services is even higher.Whenever people asked me this question in the past, I’d often say it was the person experiencing poverty sitting beside you on the subway or streetcar.
Is there anything you’d like to see candidates advocate for in the upcoming Toronto municipal election? The city is providing $7 billion in land permits, fees and grants to develop affordable housing. I want to see a continued emphasis on that.Donating food or funds to Daily Bread will improve a fellow Torontonian’s life immediately. Those who can’t contribute can contact their elected officials and say, “Please make poverty reduction a priority.” It’s that simple. My hope is that all Torontonians make this a priority in the municipal election and in provincial and federal politics too.
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