‘The damage is done:’ Canada’s food bank visits reach new high
Food bank use soared to more than two million visits in March, surpassing Canada’s 2023 peak.
That’s almost double the monthly visits recorded in March 2019, Food Banks Canada said in its latest HungerCount report.
As the “one-two punch” of housing costs and food inflation leave more Canadians cash-strapped—especially those with low incomes—the country’s food banks are buckling under the demand.
Thirty per cent of Canada’s 5,500 food banks and community organizations reported running out of food.
READ: Feast or famine: The new reality of eating in Canada
"This unthinkable rate of growth is not something food banks, nor people in Canada, can sustain. The damage is done, and people need immediate supports to help them recover. Everyone must come to the table to solve this problem. We cannot do it alone and need help to drive change," said Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada, in a release.
One third of food bank clients are children, representing roughly 700,000 monthly visits in 2024, Food Banks Canada said. Nearly 18% are employed, compared to 12% in 2019.
Around 70% of food bank clients live in market rent housing.
Thirty two per cent are newcomers to Canada (those who have been in the country for 10 years or less).
Provincial social assistance remains the most common source of income for food bank clients.
"Food Banks Canada believes that a dual-path approach is the way forward. We need governments to rapidly introduce income policies that will provide much-needed relief for the millions of people struggling right now. Low-income workers, single adults, renters and communities in the North need better supports and we encourage all Canadians to help us call on governments to repair the social safety net that lies in tatters after decades of neglect. Every action gets us one step closer to a future in Canada where no one goes hungry. Help us drive change," Beardsley stated.
The HungerCount report was first introduced by Food Banks Canada in 1989.
