TORONTO – Food bank use in Ontario has reached another record, with over one million people relying on emergency food services a full 8.7 million times in the past year. This new figure, another negative record, is highlighted in the latest report from “Feed Ontario” published Monday.
“Key takeaways from this year’s report is that food bank use has once again reached an all-time record high” explains Carolyn Stewart, CEO of Feed Ontario. Indeed, the number of users increased by 1% compared to the previous year, and by a whopping 87% compared to 2019-20.
Among the many findings highlighted in the report is the presence—between April 2024 and March 2025—of children and people with disabilities among food bank users, accounting for one in three visitors. Another significant fact is that one in four users has a job, but does not earn enough to cover the cost of food. “People who are visiting our services are spending over 70 per cent of their income, monthly, on housing” said to CityNews a food bank worker at the North York Harvest Food Bank. “And so it leaves so little for everything else, whether that be transportation to work, a coat for their child, medication, or even food” he added.
“Since the launch of Ontario’s 2020–2025 Poverty Reduction Strategy, poverty rates have continued to rise, food bank use has doubled, and homelessness has become an increasingly urgent issue. While food banks have been relied upon to help fill gaps in the province’s social safety nets, the scale of poverty and hunger has now far surpassed their capacity. As the last line of defence for many people and families before homelessness, addressing these issues is urgent and requires coordinated, systemic solutions that only governments can provide…” it’s stated in the conclusions of the report.
And, “Ontario has a clear opportunity to lead a new approach to poverty reduction that includes strengthening social support programs, addressing the affordability crisis, and implementing a new and comprehensive poverty reduction strategy that recognizes the complexity of these challenges. These investments are not only the right thing to do, but are essential to the health and wellbeing of the province and the provincial economy. By taking focused and coordinated action now, the Province can reverse current poverty trends and build the foundation for a stronger and more resilient Ontario…”.
Meanwhile, “in the short term, if people do have the capacity to support your local food bank this holiday season, that would be incredible” adds Carolyn Stewart, trusting in the generosity of ordinary citizens who, more than ever, make up for the shortcomings of those in government.
To download/read the whole report by “Feed Ontario”, click here: FEED_HungerReport25_Digital
Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash
