2023 Hunger Report: Kawartha Lakes Food Source Calls for Action on Hunger in CKL
Release: December 4, 2023
November 30, 2023 (Lindsay, Ontario) – Kawartha Lakes Food Source was host to Feed Ontario for the Hunger Report: LIVE in Kawartha Lakes. In this year’s Hunger Report, released on November 27, 2023, Feed Ontario is sounding the alarm on crisis-level food bank use across the province, with food banks in Ontario experiencing their largest single-year increase on record.
Local social service agencies, elected officials, and media representatives were in attendance as Feed Ontario’s Amanda King shared key findings from the report that showed over 800,000 people accessing emergency food support last year – a 38% increase from the previous year.
Amongst an excess of sobering statistics, one concerning trend indicates that the number of working Ontarians visiting food banks is on the rise. According to the report, more than 1 in 6 food bank visitors cited employment as their primary source of income. Across KLFS member food banks, the number of visitors citing employment as their primary source of income has increased by 8% in 2023 so far, in comparison with data from the reporting period. In Ontario, having a job no longer guarantees having food on the table.
Food banks across the province are struggling to meet demand. Kawartha Lakes Food Source has seen a 7% decline in food donations in the last year, coupled with a 10% increase in food bank visits. Between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, our member food banks were visited over 12,000 times by 2,465 people; including seniors, adults, and children. One in 4 visitors had never visited a food bank before, an increase of 16% over the previous year. Half of KLFS member food bank visitors rely on Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program.
Visits to KLFS member food banks in 2023 so far have already exceeded the number we saw in all of 2022. Our data shows that 1 in 18 people in our community have visited a food bank. According to a February report by the HKPR Health Unit, only 20% of those who are food insecure access a food bank, so we know the level of hunger in our community is even greater than these numbers represent.
Far too many Ontarians are struggling to get ahead. Developed in collaboration with KLFS, Feed Ontario has launched Fork in the Road – an interactive virtual tool that guides users through some of the tough decisions that Ontarians living on a low income face each month as well as the systemic forces that trap them in poverty.
Food insecurity is fundamentally an income issue. The Hunger Report indicates insufficient social support programs, lack of quality employment, and unaffordable housing as key drivers of food insecurity in Ontario. Making sure no one goes hungry requires making sure all Ontarians can afford their basic necessities. It requires ensuring Ontario has a strong social safety net, quality jobs, and an affordable cost of living.
It is only through strong public policies that we can ensure every Ontarian has access to all their basic needs. Kawartha Lakes Food Source echoes Feed Ontario in putting forth the following recommendations as immediate first steps that can be taken to improve the health and wellbeing of Ontarians and end the need for food banks.
Increase provincial social assistance rates and reduce clawbacks on earned income and government benefits.
Recommendation: Align Ontario Works and ODSP rates with the cost of living and reduce the clawbacks on earned income and other benefits.
Invest in building and maintaining social and supportive housing and improve tenant protections.
Recommendation: Invest in the costed plan of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association and Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada to build and extend the life of more affordable rental homes and apply more rent controls on new and existing units.
Reduce the precarity of the labour market through improvements to labour laws and by reducing barriers to unionization.
Recommendation: Strengthen employment protections and opportunities by classifying gig workers as employees so that they receive the same protections as other workers; reduce barriers to unionization to help low- and middle-income workers retain quality employment; and protect victims of wage theft.
Reform Employment Insurance (EI) and improve access to tax benefits through automatic tax filing.
Recommendation: Institute automatic tax filing using information collected for acceptance in Ontario’s social assistance programs and support the Government of Canada in reforming EI so that more Ontarians are eligible for the program, leaving them with more income and relieving pressure on provincial social assistance programs.
**Please note this is not the full list of recommendations included in the report for each policy area. To view the full report, visit ww.feedontario.ca/hunger-report-2023
What can you do to fight hunger?
Support those that are hungry locally, in our community, by donating food or money to Kawartha Lakes Food Source. We urge you to read Feed Ontario’s full 2023 Hunger Report and use and share the Fork in the Road Tool to become more informed about issues facing food banks and the individuals that rely on their services. After familiarizing yourself with the report, reach out to your local elected officials to voice your concerns and recommendations.
Click here to access the full 2023 Hunger Report. For questions about the report, contact Amanda King at amanda@feedontario.ca. For more information about Kawartha Lakes Food Source and to learn how you can donate, visit www.kawarthalakesfoodsource.com or call 705-324-0707.
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About Kawartha Lakes Food Source
Kawartha Lakes Food Source is a non-profit distribution organization that procures and distributes food to 35 agencies, advocates for food security and poverty related issues, and collaborates with the community to support those who do not have enough. We are located at 164 Needham St, Lindsay. www.kawarthalakesfoodsource.com
About Hunger Report 2023
This report provides an analysis of food bank use and trends in food banking between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023 and provides recommendations for public policy changes at provincial and national levels reduce the need for food banks.
About Feed Ontario
Feed Ontario is a network of 1,200 direct and affiliate food banks and hunger-relief agencies across the province that are united in their work to prevent and address hunger and poverty. Through emergency food support, innovative programming, and a commitment to researching and recommending solutions to poverty, the provincial food bank network works to improve the health and well-being of the adults, children, and families it serves. https://feedontario.ca
Media Support Provided by Feed Ontario
Contact Andrea Water at andrea@feedontario.ca.