Tag Archive: hunger

  1. Who’s Hungry Report 2023

    Comments Off on Who’s Hungry Report 2023

    Who’s Hungry Report 2023

    In partnership, Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest Food Bank have released the 2023 Who’s Hungry Report, a profile of food insecurity in the City of Toronto.

    The report reveals a grim reality: 1 in 10 people in Toronto are now relying on food banks to make ends meet. Last year that number was 1 in 20.

     

    ACCESS THE REPORT GET THE SNAPSHOT 

     

    During the reporting period, there were 2.53 million visits to food banks in Toronto – a 51% increase over last year and the highest annual increase ever recorded.

     

    Food insecurity is at crisis levels in Toronto. More households are being pushed into poverty due to four key factors.

    Soaring housing costs

    • After paying rent and utilities, food bank clients have a median of $6.67 left per person, per day for food and all other necessities. This is a significant drop from $8.01 last year

    Food inflation

    • Nearly 1 in 3 (31%) food bank clients went a whole day without eating and more than half (55%) of food bank clients missed a meal to pay for something else

       

     

    Stagnating wages

    • Despite inflation rising by 11% since 2021, the median hourly wage ($16) and median weekly hours worked among food bank clients have remained the same during this period

    Insufficient social assistance rates

    • Of the 35% of food bank clients who have a disability, 61% rely on social assistance for income, which leaves them at least $1,000 below the poverty line each month

     

    There was a 154% increase in the number of individuals who accessed food bank services for the first time last year. Food banks are at their breaking point.

    “The report’s findings, while heartbreaking, are not a surprise. Food banks are being counted on to address the immediate needs and our sector simply cannot solve this crisis on its own,” says Ryan Noble, Executive Director, North York Harvest Food Bank.

    “To truly eradicate hunger, it takes more than food banks raising food and funds. There is an urgent need for collaboration and real action among the government, the private sector and food banks.”

     

    To affect real change urgently needed in the sector, we are calling for the following:

    • The Government of Canada to rapidly design and implement an adequate and accessible Canada Disability Benefit so that eligible recipients begin receiving the benefit by 2025.
    • The Government of Ontario to commit to a minimum of 300,000 units of permanently affordable and supportive homes in Ontario over the next 10 years, with a minimum of 50,000 in Toronto.
    • The City of Toronto to ensure Toronto’s forthcoming Poverty Reduction Strategy Action Plan provides concrete actions, with funding attached, to prevent food insecurity and promote resiliency among Toronto’s community food programs.

     

    North York Harvest Food Bank’s vision is a community where all members are able to meet their food needs, and we will continue to strive for that through dignified food assistance, education, advocacy, and long-term food solutions.

    To read the full report and detailed recommendations, click here.

    Who's Hungry Report 2023

  2. We Need Your Help

    Comments Off on We Need Your Help

    For many Toronto children, summer is a time for savory barbecues and fun-filled picnics. You yourself may be lucky enough to enjoy a holiday getaway with your friends and family this summer.

    But right now families in your community need your support more than ever.

    Many children from low-income families depend on food programs at their schools for lunch or breakfast. Sadly, in the summer months, these kids go without many of these important meals.  

    This time of year is even more difficult for working families who also have to pay for daycare (when the children are not in school).  

    The reality is . . . families in our community struggle even harder to put food on the table during the summer.  

    There are over 16,000 people who must use the food bank every month. 40% of these people are children.

    Almost two thirds of the children who rely on North York Harvest Food Bank every month are under the age of 11. That means that of the 6,000 children going hungry every month – close to 4,000 children under 11 are without food.

    But together we can make a huge difference in the lives of people in your community that struggle to put food on the table.

    What can you do today to make sure these children, and their families, get the food they need? It’s simple: Donate to our North York Harvest Food Bank Hunger Alert Campaign this summer.

    Your gift will go to work immediately to help feed:

    • Children whose single parent can’t afford both day care and three nutritious meals a day
    • Elderly who struggle to survive on their pensions
    • Families whose wage earners suddenly find themselves unemployed and forced to slash their food budget to pay for rent and living expenses
    • Workers who are straining to survive on shrinking pay cheques and rising living costs in North York
    • People from all walks of life who believed they would only ever donate to a food bank, never imagining that they might need to use one.

    When you make a gift to North York Harvest Food Bank you will help people through these difficult times, provide nourishment, and rebuild their will to overcome their challenging situations.

    Hunger doesn’t take a vacation but you can make a difference.  

    Also, your gift will be tripled this summer — for every dollar you donate, we can stretch that towards $3 worth of healthy and nutritious food for your neighbours in need

    Right now we need your support more than ever. Donate now to make a difference in the lives of more than 16,000 people each month.

     

  3. Summer Heroes

    Comments Off on Summer Heroes

    What if you simply couldn’t afford the food your child needed to be well?

    That’s an issue that I must face each day.  

    My name is Jessica. My 9 year old son, David, lives with a disability. His doctors say he has to avoid processed foods with lots of salt and sugar because they can make his condition worse.

    As you know, it’s much easier to afford processed foods than it is to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and whole grains.  It can be such a struggle just to get a healthy meal on the table.

    That’s why I am so grateful for North York Harvest Food Bank as well as the donors and volunteers that make these programs possible. Being able to visit the food bank makes giving David the food he needs so much easier.

    I know how much these foods matter to families using food banks, not just from the impact they make in my home, but through my volunteer work. I’ve been volunteering at the food bank for as long as I’ve been a client. When we have fresh food to offer, I watch my neighbours faces light up.

    I come home from every volunteer shift knowing I made a difference.

    And we need YOU to help us make a difference more than ever this summer!

    Summer is a difficult time at the food bank. Food donations aren’t as frequent so we have less food to share. With the kids out of school, they don’t have access to school food programs that are vital to their health.

    So many of the families I see at the food bank are going through the same thing. This is why your support is so important right now.

    By making a gift to North York Harvest, they can purchase the food our communities need, so no one is forced to go without during the summer.

    I know what a difference your support of the food bank  makes. Every time I sit down with my kids at the table to share a meal, I feel grateful that I’m part of a community that cares so much about each other.  

    Be a Summer Hero and your impact will be TRIPLED this summer. Every $1 you give, will be stretched to $3 worth of meals for people in need of food in your community! DONATE TODAY!

  4. Cash VS. Cans

    Comments Off on Cash VS. Cans

    There’s been lots in the news recently about how best to support food banks. We’re grateful for all of the ways our community takes action against hunger, and each type of gift is essential in making sure 16,000 people each month have the food and support they need to thrive.

     

    Join the Winter Food Drive today!

    Make a Donation

    Register Your Food & Funds Drive

    Collect Funds Only By Setting Up An Online Giving Page

     

    Together we can make a difference and leave hunger behind!

  5. Fighting Poverty Together

    Comments Off on Fighting Poverty Together

    Often when we think of poverty, we don’t think about how deep the problem is in our very own backyard.

    In North York, poverty hides in high rise apartments, rooming houses and shelters. Often food is the last priority on a long list of bills that must be paid by our neighbours who are struggling to make ends meet each month.

    All too often, we hear stories like Holly’s.

    “I always thought I could do it on my own. I was able to pay my rent, phone, and medications with the little money I had. Food was always last on my list. Being a type 1 diabetic that takes insulin every day, eating properly is very important. I soon realized that I could not do everything on my own.

    I found the food bank and soon found out I was receiving more than help with my food.  I found a sense of community”.

    Because of skyrocketing housing prices, unsteady employment and social assistance rates that have failed to keep up with the cost of the living in our city – thousands of our neighbours are struggling to get by each day. Together we can change that.

    Your support provides more than food. It provides social inclusion through programs like Community Kitchens, employment readiness training like our Leadership in Logistics program and ensures we can continue to invest in long term solutions to end hunger and poverty. We know that food banks alone aren’t the answer. With your help, we can make sure providing essential emergency food support is just the start of the relationship we build with those that need us most.

    Please make the most generous gift you can today and help make a lasting difference in the lives of our neighbours. I know that together we can make so much more possible in North Toronto.

  6. Leave Hunger Behind

    Comments Off on Leave Hunger Behind

    We’re kicking off the 2017 Fall Food Drive and we want YOU to be a part of it!

    Your participation allows us to support food banks, food education programs, community kitchens and more.  These programs not only help people access food but bring people together all year long!

    Leave Hunger Behind this fall

    bank_cash_coin_coupon_discount_money_piggy_sale_save_saving-512Make a Donation

    Cash donations make sure we can purchase the healthy food our community needs when donated food supplies can’t meet the need.  You can even make your own fundraising page to share with friends and family here!

     

    082207-green-jelly-icon-business-cart5Run a Food & Fund Drive

    Get your friends, family and coworkers together.  Be creative and have fun while giving back.

     

    Donate Food

    The best items to collect for the food bank are canned fish, canned beans, canned tomatoes, cooking oil and rice.  

     

    hand-heart-iconVolunteer

    There are many ways to volunteer! Join us in the food bank, warehouse, on the truck, at events or in the office.

     

    conference-512Get Social

    Spread the word on all of your social media accounts.

     

    You can make a difference in the lives of 15,000 parents, children and grandparents that rely on food banks every month. THANK YOU!

    Subscribe to Our Enewsletter

    * indicates required



     


  7. Setting the Table – The Power of a Meal

    Comments Off on Setting the Table – The Power of a Meal

    A message from Aniska Ali,  North York Harvest’s New Director of Development and Marketing

    As Thanksgiving approaches, I, like many of you, am preparing to welcome family and friends to my home. Pumpkin printed napkins have been fished out of storage containers, recipes have been bookmarked, and shopping lists have been made. My daughter has been collecting leaves for weeks for our table’s centerpiece, her part of our family’s annual tradition. On Monday, she’ll help set the table, and I’ll fuss in the kitchen, bickering with my husband and my sister about how much sage to add to the stuffing and how frequently to baste the turkey. These are our rituals, these are the acts that make Thanksgiving familiar and special – these are things I’ll remember as time goes by.

    Food is a big part of my life. Talking about the power of it, and sadly, the lack of it for so many in our community fills my days. What often gets lost in our rush to make sure there’s enough is an understanding of the role food plays in uniting us. The sharing and enjoyment of a meal is a simple, but profound, pleasure that brings us together, across cultures, ages and backgrounds. Eating together is, and should be, a daily experience of connection.

    Unfortunately that is simply not the case for the 15,000 people we serve each month. Skyrocketing housing prices, precarious employment and social assistance rates that have failed to keep up with the cost of the living put the joy food brings out of reach for so many of our neighbours. Sadly, we know all too well that loneliness and isolation go hand in hand with living in poverty.

    That’s why North York Harvest offers programs like community kitchens to give people in our neighbourhood a chance to meet friends, cook together, and share a meal in a welcoming place.

    As Maudlyn, one of our members and a retired caterer told us recently, “This program is a commitment to myself.  It gets me out of the house to socialize with others. My favourite part is actually setting the table, it feels like we are having a real family meal”.

    Thank you for making stories like Maudlyn’s possible. Thank you for believing as we do that, everyone deserves a safe place where they can meet people, build friendships, feel included and eat delicious food regardless of their income. Thank you for investing in programs like these that make North York Harvest so much more than a food bank. We hope you know just how much your support means to us and the community we serve.

    From all of us here, Happy Thanksgiving!

    Looking for a way to make sure everyone has a place at the table? Make your gift here: https://northyorkharvest.com/donateffd/

  8. Who’s Hungry in Our City?

    Comments Off on Who’s Hungry in Our City? Each year North York Harvest Food Bank teams up with the Daily Bread Food Bank to release the annual “Who’s Hungry” report.  It is a snapshot of food bank use in Toronto. Surveys were conducted on a completely voluntary basis within participating food banks.  33 food banks participated and over 1400 surveys were used to create the report. This report always releases staggering numbers and highlights the problem with food insecurity in our local community and the affect it has on our neighbours in Toronto.  

    Food Bank use in the Inner Suburbs has grown 68% since 2010

    We have been seeing a major increase in visits to the North York Harvest Food Bank.  Residents may be forced to leave the city core to find more affordable rent. Though being able to afford both rent and food is still out of reach for many.

    Who's Hungry

    The growth in the east end has increased dramatically.  Food bank use in this area of the city has increased 30% compared to 4% or less in other parts of the city.  Many of the residents there are newcomers, having fled due to international conflict or natural disasters - most paying around 82% of their income on rent alone.
    “I HAVE COPED BY NOT EATING WELL OR SOMETIMES I DON’T EAT. ACTUALLY I DON’T EAT ABOUT ONCE A WEEK BECAUSE THERE ARE EXPENSES FOR MY ILLNESSES.” ~ SURVEY RESPONDENT  

    Social Assistance just isn’t enough anymore

    The lack of sufficient income brings many people to food banks.  The average monthly income for clients is just $816.50. For a city like Toronto that will not even pay for rent on a one bedroom apartment. 34% of adults have gone hungry at least once every week because they spend all of their income on rent and utilities leaving them struggling to pay for other items such as food, clothing and transit. Sacrificing food can lead to poor mental and physical health.

    Who's Hungry

    “I AM DEPRESSED, HAVE GAINED 50 POUNDS. I HAVE LOST FRIENDS AS I CANNOT AFFORD TO SOCIALIZE OR HAVE TTC FUNDS TO GO TO THEIR HOMES.” ~ SURVEY RESPONDENT  

    Usage of food banks by seniors has skyrocketed

    Within just a year, food bank usage of people ages 65 and up has increased by 26.8%!  It is also quite possible there is a higher need among seniors but many may not be able to attend the food bank due to barriers such as transportation or lack of physical ability.  

    Who's Hungry

    22% of seniors have skipped meals for an entire day because they couldn’t afford to eat – for many of them, it happened almost every month. Many report using their small amounts of money on prescription medications.  Lack of food can worsen any pre-existing health problems seniors may have. Another reason that seniors are accessing the food bank more than ever is that many aren't getting a boost to their income through the Guaranteed Income Supplement they may be entitled to receiving. The reason many are not receiving this benefit could be sheer lack of awareness, the difficulty in applying do to lack of technical support or language barriers.
       

    Read the full report here.