Record number of Canadians are turning to food banks as the gap widens between the rich and poor.
Without the generosity of strangers and social justice organizations, almost 900,000 Canadians – including 342,000 children – would go without food this month.
Food banks have long helped to feed the most vulnerable members of society, but in the last few years those numbers have grown significantly, and the definition of “vulnerable” has expanded to include a growing number of employed Canadians who can’t earn enough to sustain themselves and their families.
In fact, food bank usage in Canada is up a staggering 26 percent since 2008, and with each passing month 93,000 Canadians access a food bank for the first time.
No matter how big or small the community, there are children, adults, and even families who have no other choice to miss lunch, skip breakfast, or even go without food for days at a time.
There are many assumptions made about those who use food banks, but the truth is, the majority are hard working individuals who are simply struggling to provide for their families. In fact, the majority of food bank clients are: wage workers, adults who have recently been laid off, young adults just entering the work force, children, and senior citizens.
“When we look at the growing demand for food banks, it is no coincidence that the income gap has also grown significantly in recent years,” says UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley, making reference to the point that Canada’s richest 20 percent now accounts for half of the country’s total income.
As a response to the startling rise in food bank usage, the national charitable organization representing and supporting the food bank community across Canada has put forward a number of important recommendations to federal and provincial governments. Food Banks Canada is calling for the immediate development of more affordable housing units, improving Employment Insurance, and introducing a system of early learning and child care that is high-quality, affordable, and fully accessible, among other key initiatives featured in the excellent report Hunger Count 2011.
“As UFCW Canada activists we need to use every opportunity to push for legislation and public investment that will create more fairness and decency in our communities and country,” says Brother Hanley. “But, as members of Canada’s leading union, we also know that the best anti-poverty process we have as a country and society is collective bargaining, as we must use our combined efforts to create a better balance between the rich and the rest of us by constantly encouraging our friends and neighbours to improve their lives through the power of solidarity and their rights as workers.”
UFCW Canada activists, friends and supporters are encouraged to donate what they can to their local food banks. To find out more information about the food bank in your community, and what you can do to help, visit www.foodbankscanada.ca.
Courtesy of UFCW Canada
