March 18, 2020
In 2019, Ontario’s provincial food bank network was accessed by over 520,000 people who visited our services more than 3.2 million times.
Even
under normal circumstances, these individuals and families do not have access
to sufficient income for their basic necessities, like food, personal care
items, or medication on an ongoing basis. This makes purchasing extra supplies
or stockpiling food impossible.
With
the emergence of COVID-19, Ontario’s food banks are facing a surge in demand,
as people living in poverty try to access the resources needed to self-isolate,
practice social distancing, or follow the directions of public health.
As a
result, food bank resources are being depleted far faster than they are being
replenished. Further, there is growing concern that the labour and volunteer
resources needed to sustain our operations are becoming increasingly less
available.
To ensure
vulnerable Ontarians have the support they need, and to relieve the demand
currently being placed on food banks and social service providers, Feed Ontario
is requesting that the Government of Ontario:
- Provide
immediate financial aid to social assistance recipients so that they may
purchase the food and products that they need during this unprecedented time - Create
a stabilization fund to provide financial support to non-profits, like food
banks, that are providing frontline support during this unexpected pandemic - Provide
assistance to support rental tenants who have challenges making rent payments
as a result of COVID-19, in addition to the temporary freeze on evictions
Ontario’s
food banks are working tirelessly to support their communities during this State
of Emergency, but cannot do it alone.
We
need the support of the provincial government to ease the demand on our food
banks and ensure that Ontario’s most vulnerable have ongoing and sufficient access
to food and supplies, so that they too may remain as healthy as possible.