Food banks in Toronto and across the GTA are struggling to keep up with an increased demand for their services in the lead up to Thanksgiving.
Daily Bread Food Bank is reporting crisis-levels of food insecurity and the highest demand it’s seen in recent times. Similarly, Food Banks Mississauga is struggling to meet its food drive goals.
In the last six months, there have been close to 2 million client visits to Daily Bread Food Banks in Toronto, the organization says.
This year, it’s aiming to raise $4.6 million for its Thanksgiving drive, as well as 200,000 pounds of food to meet emergency demand by Oct. 31.
“On average, we are seeing close to 330,000 client visits monthly, compared to around 60,000 pre-pandemic,” Eva Molina, VP, marketing and communications for Daily Bread Food Bank told Now Toronto in an email statement on Friday.
Daily Bread is also seeing 13,000 new, unique individuals accessing food banks for the first time each month, which is six times higher than pre-pandemic levels.
In addition, Molina says nearly 1 in 3 clients report going a whole day without eating and more than half say they have missed meals to pay for something else like transportation or medicine.
“After paying rent and utilities, food bank clients have a median of just $6.67 left per person, per day for food and all other essentials. This means that often, people do not eat,” Molina explained.
As a result, the food bank is spending $29 million per year on food, compared to $1.5 million pre-pandemic, Molina concluded.
Similarly, Food Banks Mississauga says it saw the largest growth in food bank usage in the entire province last year and the demand continues to rise.
“The number of Mississauga residents who turned to a food bank increased by 58 per cent, compared to the provincial increase of 25 per cent,” it said in a press release this month.
In its annual report, Food Banks Mississauga said one in three residents now use a food bank, and that almost a third are children.
“Residents made over 421,000 visits to a food bank last year, which is 80% more than the previous year,” the release said.
Currently it has an $800,000 goal for its Thanksgiving food drive but has only reached 52 per cent of its target.
The food drive runs until Oct. 21 and for every $1 donated, Food Banks Mississauga will provide food for one meal to people in need.
