Food Bank Users In GTA Pass 1 Million For First Time Ever
Posted June 18, 2009 12:00 pm.
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It is, by any measurement, a starling number: 1,030,568.
That’s how many people a new survey says GTA food banks helped feed over the past year, as tough times and an economic downturn lead to more than a million people needing their services. It’s the first time local food banks have ever seen numbers that high.
It’s an eight per cent increase over last year and just as scary – it’s up 17 per cent in the first three months of 2009.
The “Profile of Hunger” report notes 35 percent of all users cite job losses for their need, while another six percent had their hours – and their incomes – reduced. And 11 percent said they were now living solely on their savings, a tenuous cushion that will soon run out.
Add to that a tightening of the Employment Insurance and welfare regulations and many have had no choice but to avail themselves of the free meals. And the stats get even more alarming, with experts predicting that inability to access any or just limited government assistance will put more and more people in a hole they can’t climb out of, and create new dependence on food banks and their always dwindling supplies.
The report warns at least 77 per cent are being forced to go into deep debt just to try and put meals on the table or make the rent. And fully 54 per cent have had to sell some of their possessions just to stay afloat for another day or week.
“The forms of debt people are forced to incur are often high risk,” warns executive director Gail Nyberg in a statement. “For example, our research showed that 19 per cent of clients owed back rent. This carries with it the risk of eviction and homelessness. In addition, 11 per cent of the food bank population accessed payday loans with extremely high interest rates. This goes to show that desperate times do indeed call for desperate measures.”
