"A new report that says more than one million Ontario residents needed a food bank in the past year is "disheartening" but not surprising, says the CEO of Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank. "We see it here every single day at the food bank, at the Daily Bread Food Bank," Neil Hetherington said Monday. "And it's been a real tough slog being able to make sure that we feed the need now.""
"The report found that of those who used food banks in the past year: One in three people were first time users. One in three were children under 18. One in three were people with disabilities. One in four had a job but could not earn enough to make ends meet. Three in four were tenants. Twice as many were seniors, compared to five years ago, as their fixed incomes have not kept up with the rising cost of living."
"The Daily Bread Food Bank provides three days of worth of food to a client every week. Hetherington said the food bank estimates more than one in 10 Torontonians now rely on food banks, compared to one in 20 three years ago, and children make up one in four clients. 'What we're seeing is more clients,' food bank CEO says 'We're not adding more food. What we're seeing is more clients,' he said. 'The number of clients here in Toronto could fill the Rogers Centre eight times every single month. That's how many people we're feeding.'"
More than one million Ontario residents needed a food bank in the past year, with 8.7 million visits from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, a 13% increase. Food bank use has grown for nine consecutive years and reached a record high. One in three users were first-time clients, one in three were children under 18, and one in three were people with disabilities. One in four users were employed but underpaid, and three in four were tenants. Senior use doubled versus five years ago as fixed incomes lag rising living costs. Rising food bank demand signals greater homelessness, health-care strain, and community instability without poverty reduction. The Daily Bread Food Bank currently provides three days of food per client each week and reports sharply increasing client numbers.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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