It’s an emergency – but it’s nothing new, es-pecially at this time of year. With the Yuletide Holidays rapidly approaching, Food banks are reporting severe shortages of donations. So much so that they have to cut back on how much food they give each visitor…
“All of this was never meant to stay here!” Ryan Patcheson
at Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank reminds us…
Just when some low-income families need help most, Food Banks in and across Ontario are reporting shortages sue to soaring demand. As a result, they’re already cutting back on the amount of food they give out in their standard aid packages. That’s happened before, but never so far in advance of a major ‘stress’ period…
What’s going on?
It’s not a new thing. In fact, Food Banks everywhere are used to dealing with increased demand in the colder months – especially around major holidays. Out one spokesman at Toronto’s Daily Bread food bank network describes demand as skyrocketing.
In fact, an annual report from Feed Ontario — a network of more than 1,200 food banks and hunger relief programs in the province — revealed that annual visits to its member organizations had sur-passed 1 million per month by the end of this past March. And were on track to exceed 2 million per month by the end of next March. That translates to a year-over-year increase of 25 percent. And 2 out every 5 of those aid recipients had never used a food bank before.
A little history…
A spokesperson for Toronto’s Daily Bread food relief network told CITYNews Toronto, the situation is particularly worrying, considering the long-term, steady fall in donations in parallel with increasing demand.
“We just don’t have the luxury of treading water anymore,” veteran Food Bank volunteer and one-time user Ryan Patcheson pointed out. In fact, the food bank model was never meant to be an on-going, permanent solution to the problem it attempts to address. “All of this was never supposed to stay here,” he says, with a sweeping gesture indicating the cavernous warehouse surrounding him. “This is a bandaid solution […] that is failing. It’s a bandaid that’s falling off.”
In all, 40 percent of Ontario food banks are in dire need of donations. On average, each visitor to one of these facilities this week received 10 percent less food than they used to get per visit.
Perfect storm?
We keep hearing this admittedly overused metaphor for situations that are characterized by a lose-lose downward spirally course.But, in this case, at least, it may be the perfect metaphor.
Food Bank demand and costs are constantly rising, while donations – of both cash and food – are either stagnant or falling. It’s understandable that folks at all income levels are feeling Financial pressure at this time year.
But many are asking, “Where are the rich, fat-cat corporations, many of which are reporting equally fat third-quarter profits?”
Loblaw’s – Canada’s larges supermarket conglomerate – just posted Q3 profits of 10+ percent. And the company has been crowing about opening a new chain of ‘No Name’ discount food stores by the end of 2025, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Not to mention the millions they’ve squandered over the past year or so on failed solutions to the problem of ‘foodlifting’, and even by-the-cartload, mass food theft from its stores? The issue the company insists is contributing so onerously to keeping food prices at record highs? has it occurred to them that folks would be less motivated to steal if they could afford more…
My take
Companies like Lobaw’s should be taking the high road. As unhappy as that would make their greedy shreholders. They should be making 7-figure donations to food relief programs in every community they serve to ensure that folks currently facing starvation can survive. Especially over the particularly hard winter months.
Is it because then poor folks wouldn’t be spending as much of their scarce cash at Loblaw’s or the others? Propping up profits? One wonders if Loblaw’s and its peers – the other members of the so-called Big 5 Canadian supermarket chains – even know that, this winter, many low-income families will have to make monthly decisions about which bills to pay and which to let slide. Just to keep food of ANY kind on their tables.
It’s past time for Galen Weston, top dog at the Loblaw’s empire, to experience an Ebenezer Scroodge-like Christmas epiphany. Loblaw’s and its ilk come as close as any entity could to outright owning the Canadian supermarket food chain; controlling our entire food supply. Dare I humbly remind them that with ownership come responsibilities? Community and broader social responsibilities?
It’s clearly also past time that governments stepped in and mandated lower food prices…
~ Maggie J.