Fighting Food Insecurity – Mary Thomas

Fighting FOOD

INSECURITY M

ore than 1 in 10 households in Alberta experience household food insecurity (a lack of money to buy enough healthy food). Before the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, nearly 4.5 million Canadians were already experiencing food insecurity. The number is rising everyday with shrinking income pots and greater demand. Within Edmonton, 13.8% of residents were food insecure in 2017-2018. In 2019, 63,323 people received a hamper from Edmonton’s Food Bank or one of its affiliates.

Indigenous and racialized people are also disproportionately impacted by food insecurity. Black households are 3.5 times more likely to be food insecure than white households, and almost half of all First Nations families are food insecure.

Of those who access food banks to meet their needs, the 2019 Hunger Count reported that 34% were children, 48% were single adult households, 18% were single parent households, and 57.4% were on social assistance or disability-related supports. Food security measures need to be responsive to needs of ethnic minorities as they are more likely to experience social isolation due to food insecurity.

One of my Black friends in the community said to me, “Your circumstances can suddenly change when you are unable to find work and doors close on you for any kind of support. I found myself desperate and short of food for a season in my life. I had to depend on family to send me money which was almost never enough to pay my rent and feed my children. I remember skipping meals to save money. Using the car became a luxury I couldn’t afford.”

“The predicament of undocumented workers rings clear: they have no access to food support nor to the vaccines as they do not have healthcare coverage. My battle with food insecurity is just a glimpse the entire gamut of issues faced when you are let down by circumstances beyond your control. Food insecurity leads to problems like trafficking. You are offered meaningless work for little or no pay. Some are offered the opportunity to sell their bodies in exchange for mon-

Tackling the ballooning food insecurity in our region – Mary Thomas

Lead Story

ey,” she sighed.

A high proportion of refugees and temporary foreign workers spend between 75 to 100 per cent of their income on housing with little going to other essential living costs like food.

In a nationwide survey last year, 81% stated that food insecurity compromised their physical health. Nearly two-thirds of these people explained that this was due to either a lack of food and/or an inability to access food that met their dietary needs. The other third connected their poor health to the stress and anxiety they experienced because of being food insecure.

Of those who discussed the specific ways in which their physical health was affected by food insecurity, 25% had trouble managing one or more chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. In addition to struggling to afford the specific foods that might help their condition, many respondents noted that they also could not take their prescription medication when they were out of food.

Another survey participant noted that because their medicine isn’t covered, “I have to take money out of my food budget. I often have to decide to fix my health issues or feed myself.” Many respondents noted a correlation between their food insecurity and a variety of health challenges, such as insomnia, headaches, eczema, hair loss and digestive issues. Of those who elaborated on how their food insecurity had impacted their physical health, 8% expressed that it had led to the development of one or more illnesses, such as anemia. “I have coronary artery disease and had bypass surgery. I’m supposed to eat specific foods, but that is not always possible due to money.”

Another common theme was feelings of fatigue and exhaustion due to lack of food. “I don’t have any energy anymore. You do not notice the slide until you are down. And when you are down, you try to get out, but you do not have the energy. I used to eat when I wanted, but now I eat when I can.”

Food insecurity had negatively affected the mental health of seventy-nine percent of the people surveyed. They said it made them stressed, anxious, and worried. This stress was often the result of needing to ration food, fear of running out and/ or not knowing if or how they would make it through the month. 40% of people who are food insecure struggle with anxiety and other mood

disorders. Food insecurity can make people feel frustrated, aggressive, desperate, or pessimistic. Finding themselves unable to provide for themselves or their loved ones in the way they wanted, as well as an acute awareness of what they lacked, exacerbated these feelings. Some explained that they did not think they could easily change their situation, and it made them feel hopeless. “We’re trying to not get depressed, but we’re running low. My wife and I argue, and we only have one room to live in. [She] gets inconsolable when she doesn’t eat.” Many noted the stigma associated with food insecurity and appeared to have internalized the notion that their food situation made them inferior or “less than” those who had access to food. Some survey participants reported that not having access to food decreased their motivation and ability to concentrate. Several respondents added that thinking about a lack of food all the time made it difficult to focus their energy elsewhere. For others, food insecurity made it hard to sleep. “[I] can’t focus. I get kind of lethargic and do not think clearly. [I] can’t concentrate because I’m worried and hungry and don’t know where my next meal is going to come from.” A few participants said the situation was so dire that they had contemplated suicide.

Finding and maintaining paid work was made more difficult because of food insecurity for 57% of our survey respondents. Respondents explained that food insecurity had affected their motivation, self-esteem, or confidence, making it difficult to find and secure a job.

“[Food insecurity] creates anxiety, and it erodes motivation to contribute.” Nearly one-third of respondents explained that the time it took to meet their food needs and/or the general instability that comes with being food insecure interfered with their ability to find and keep work. For some, this meant countless hours searching and waiting for emergency food. For others, it meant trying to deal with episodes of hunger caused by unpredictable access to food.

“Without food, I don’t have the mental or physical energy to go out to find a job or maintain a job. It’s hard to do a good job when you’re hungry.”

Several respondents noted that they could not afford the costs associated with employment, such as transportation, childcare and suitable clothing needed to meet dress codes. Accessing the training required to increase their employability was also out of reach for some. Paying for these expenses, they explained, would cut into their food budget, and eating had to come first.

“Going to work—how do you get there? Is there a dress code? Can you afford to buy what you need? Or do you buy food?”

You can lend a hand.

Within Edmonton, several new initiatives besides Edmonton Food Bank, Mustard Seed and religious organisations aim to address these concerns. Food hamper programs were set up by organizations such as the Somali Canadian Education and Rural Development Organization (SCERDO) and the African Diaspora COVID-19 Response. This response team was set up by the Africa Centre in collaboration with ten other groups within the African community providing food hampers to their members to gain better access to nutrition (which includes providing culturally relevant foods like injera and yucca powder). They also help members to navigate government support programs, provide psychosocial and emotional support, as well as career support for those facing job loss.

In addition, the C5: Collaborative for Change (Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, Boyle Street Community Services, Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, Norwood Child and Family Resource Centre and Terra Centre for Teen Parents) set up a food hamper program in response to the pandemic, delivering food to 550 families—2,000 individuals every two weeks.

These measures are in addition to the ongoing services that existed before the pandemic. For example, the Multicultural Health Brokers Co-op has a Grocery Run Program. This program is designed to address food insecurity among immigrant and refugee communities (particularly perinatal, pregnant, and post-partum women) because of bar-

riers to transportation, language, or unfamiliarity with mainstream food products. The program has seen an increase from 100 to now 450 families accessing the program each week.

In an era when millions of Canadians experience food insecurity, diverting food waste—especially perfectly edible food that might end up in the dumpster of a grocery warehouse— is seen as a key measure to provide emergency relief for those in need. In August 2020, the Government of Canada announced a $50 million investment through the Surplus Food Rescue Program to distribute food to vulnerable Canadians that would otherwise go to waste. This food surplus was one outcome of the pandemic that had forced the closure of restaurant and hospitality industries, leaving many producers without a key market for their food commodities. Not-forprofits like Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest would redistribute 12 million kilograms.

Locally, Edmonton’s Food Bank gleans 4.8 million pounds of food waste annually, equivalent to 60— 80% of its annual meals. Leftovers Edmonton also diverts food waste for emergency relief, and in 2019 rescued enough food to provide 164,000 meals to charity.

The reasons individuals and families experience food insecurity are complex, and include physical, economic, and social barriers. Within Canada, food insecurity is primarily linked to income or financial insecurity: unemployment, low-wage or precarious jobs, and social assistance rates that do not provide a livable income for recipients. Measures to provide immediate food relief for emergency situations are important and valuable work, but long-term policies to address income insecurity must also be part of the solution to tackle food security both during and beyond, a global pandemic. These measures include a sustainable living wage, universal basic income, housing support, changes to EI for low-income workers, vocational support programs and protection from sudden changes or shocks to income sources.

The Jasper Place Wellness Centre, Jasper Place High School, Trinity United Church and the Wecan Food Basket Society of Alberta joined forces and formed WEFHA, and with the support of Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF), are aiming to increase access to healthy food for those living in Meadowlark and surrounding neighbourhoods.

Some agencies have seen a doubling or even tripling in demand for help. The Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative (MHBC), for example, was serving as many as 100 families prior to the pandemic but that has increased to more than 450 since last month.

Normally, Leftovers Edmonton visits businesses like grocery stores, bakeries, cafes, restaurants and takes any surplus food that would otherwise be thrown out. The food is then taken to organizations like the food bank where it is handed out to those in need. COBS Bakery donations help a lot of people. There are agencies close to you from whom you can access good food. Reach out and ask for help. Help is available close to you.