Federal gov’t creates policies ‘that mandate poverty,’ food bank says

Andre La Rosa-Rodriguez News Reporter

The federal and provincial governments are being asked to take action as food bank demand across Toronto and the GTA reached record-high numbers.

Meghan Nicholls, chief executive officer at The Mississauga Food Bank, raised concerns over the growing number of users in her community.

“It’s the highest month on record in the history of the organization,” she said about their client visits in March. “There isn’t an unlimited amount of money in the community. There isn’t an unlimited amount of volunteers.”

The organization’s annual spending has more than doubled since pre-pandemic times. They will need to spend up to $7 million to be able to serve the number of people expected to use the Mississauga Food Bank in 2023. Nicholls said they currently serve on average 16,000 people each month.

The Daily Bread Food Bank’s CEO Neil Hetherington announced at a news conference on Tuesday that food banks across Toronto are “in a crisis” and called on the provincial government to take action by providing similar support given during the pandemic.

An annual Food Banks Canada report found rising housing costs, low provincial assistance rates, and food costs were the main reasons people were forced to turn to food banks last year.

Nicholls criticized the Canadian government for allowing demands to reach record-breaking levels