Many people do not realize the extent of hunger’s reach in this country. This year it is expected that 841,191 Canadians will turn to food banks each month, just to make ends meet. That is up slightly from a year earlier.
The problem of hunger is a persistent one, with food banks providing comparable levels of food and other assistance for the better part of a decade.
Who is turning to food banks? There is no single, typical profile. The people helped include families with children, employed people whose wages are not sufficient to cover basic living essentials, individuals on social assistance, and Canadians living on a fixed income, including people with disabilities and seniors.
HungerCount 2014 uncovers the hard data on food bank use in Canada, tells the story behind the numbers, and digs deep to explore the root causes of hunger in our country.
Read the entire document: Download HungerCount2014.pdf (23.64 MB)
In 2014, food bank usage in Canada increased by about 1% over last year and the number of people utilizing food banks remains 25% higher than in 2008.
At the height of food bank use in 2010, as many as 59,311 people turned to food banks for help.
Food Banks Canada collects data from 3,000 food-related organizations across Canada each year and compiles the annual HungerCount report. This year, the report offers five areas for action to significantly reduce the need for food banks in Canada. They are:
Download HungerCount2014.pdf (23.64 MB)