How you can help us face the tidal wave of demand

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How You Can Help Us Face the Tidal Wave of Demand.

By Margaret Ramsay & Letty Lam. Oct 13th, 2024

Not only has food bank use risen for the eighth consecutive year, but major food banks have had challenges meeting their Thanksgiving fundraising goals.

In a news release on Oct 7th, Mississauga Food Bank officials made an “urgent call for donations” as they’ve raised only 52% of the $800,000 Thanksgiving Drive goal. Last year’s fall drive raised $783,963, significantly short of its $1 million goal.

As of Oct. 10th, Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank‘s Thanksgiving drive goal was set at raising $4.6 million and 200,000 pounds of food — but they had secured roughly 50% of their goal for both food and monetary donations.

DONORS HAVE BECOME CLIENTS

“We’ve had folks say to us, ‘last year I was sending food to my child’s school for their food drive, and this year I’m coming to the food bank to ask for help.’ That’s a scary transition to be in,”

- Meghan Nicolls, CEO of Food Banks Mississauga

According to Feed Ontario’s 2023 Hunger Report, 54% of food bank users rely on disability related benefits (such as the Ontario Disability Support Program) and Social assistance (such as Ontario Works). Decades of cuts and freezes to these social assistance rates have caused these people to rely on food banks for basic necessities and support.

What’s also alarming is that in the 2019 Hunger Report, 9.2% food bank users stated employment income as their primary source of income. By 2023, the proportion had grown to 17%, illustrating that across Ontario, employed individuals are having trouble making ends meet.

8% of people in Mississauga use food banks.

FOOD BANKS CANNOT KEEP PACE WITH CURRENT DEMAND

“We are experiencing a tidal wave of demand, and we are worried about the future.”

- Meghan Nicolls, CEO of Food Banks Mississauga.

Food banks, including The Compass, are worried about our ability to serve our clients’ needs, the growing number of clients and the mounting challenges each face in transitioning away from food bank usage. Governments at all levels have to invest in improving our social assistance programs, investing in affordable housing and robust employment option so that people who rely on support programs and people who are employed can start a future without the reliance of food banks.

You can help:

By making your donation monthly instead of once a year so budgeting can happen in a more predictable fashion.
By supporting affordable housing, such as Indwell projects, in your community.
By writing to your councillor and Provincial Member of Parliament to index Ontario Works rates against inflation.

Sources:

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/toronto-mississauga-food-banks-face-tidal-wave-of-demand-struggle-to-meet-thanksgiving-donation-goals/article_0a428f7e-858e-11ef-81f7-477fdb5d5db0.html, accessed Oct 13 2024.

https://www.insauga.com/tidal-wave-of-demand-has-food-bank-officials-worried-about-the-future-in-mississauga/, accessed Oct 13 2024.

https://feedontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/FEED_OntarioHungerReport23.pdf, accessed Oct 13 2024.

https://feedontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Hunger-Report-2019-Feed-Ontario-Digital.pdf, accessed Oct 13 2024.

https://www.foodbanksmississauga.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-Annual-Impact-Report-smaller.pdf, accessed Oct 13 2024.

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