As this holiday giving season begins, a Toronto food bank is calling for the public to go over and above with the donations they would normally give — as food banks continue to report higher usage numbers than they’ve ever seen.
Donations of money and time are greatly appreciated, especially at this time of year, but that alone won’t help address the crisis food banks are facing, North York Harvest Food Bank’s executive director, Ryan Noble, told CBC Toronto.
“We know that that is not enough,” he said. “So, I would ask for the public’s help in helping us to sound that alarm and making it loud enough so that people who are in positions of power are forced not to turn away.”
WATCH | Food bank visits hit new record high:
Earlier this month, North York Harvest and Daily Bread Food Bank released their annual Who’s Hungry report. It outlined that Toronto food banks saw a million more visits over the past year, bringing the total number to 3.49 million from April 2023 to April 2024 — a 38 per cent increase, and nearly four times the number of visits food banks saw before the pandemic.
The report makes several specific policy recommendations, including increasing disability benefits and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) rates, investing more in children’s nutrition programs and creating and maintaining more affordable housing.
The report was published on Nov. 12, but Noble says no level of government or any elected officials have issued a response yet.
“We’ve been telling this story for a long time and we’re being ignored by people who are in positions of power,” he said. “And until that changes, we’re going to continue to see more and more people coming to food banks.”
Ryan Noble, executive director of North York Harvest Food Bank, says donations are greatly appreciated at this time of year, but more government action is needed to address the systemic issues leading to increased food bank usage. (James Dunne/CBC)
‘Policies need to change,’ says food bank user
Lois-Morgen Forde has been a client at North York Harvest since October 2023, after she lost her job.
“I didn’t know how to make ends meet,” she told CBC Toronto. ” It helped a lot, especially with the cost of everything going up, like groceries and rent.”
Forde says she’s not surprised to hear about the record-breaking numbers, as she’s seen first-hand just how busy the food bank can get.
“It’s a huge issue. People can barely even make it from month to month,” she said. “The policies do need to change.”
Lois-Morgen Forde has been accessing the North York Harvest Food Bank since she lost her job in late 2023. (Mehrdad Nazarahari/CBC)
Noble says he’s frustrated that the industry’s calls for help seem to be falling on deaf ears. That’s why he’s calling for donors to do just a little bit more this holiday season, starting with reading the Who’s Hungry report online.
“Take a moment and read through it and understand the situation with a little bit more detail,” Noble said.
“Make your voice known in solidarity with ours so the alarm bell is so loud people are forced to take notice and forced to put in place the changes that are required.”
Government offices respond to calls for more action
CBC Toronto reached out to several government offices to inquire if they had reviewed the Who’s Hungry report and if any steps are being taken to address its recommendations.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the City of Toronto said the report informs ongoing policy decisions for a wide range of city programs, including a 20 year plan to reduce poverty “that focuses on housing stability, service access, transportation equity, the quality of jobs and incomes, systemic change, and access to food.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services provided a statement, saying the government is continuing to work “to make life more affordable for Ontarians.” The spokesperson noted recent increases to ODSP rates, tax credits for low-income families and investments in both the Student Nutrition Program and the First Nations Student Nutrition Program. The ministry did not say if it had reviewed the Who’s Hungry recommendations.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada told CBC Toronto it’s aware of the report.