Food banks bracing for increase in demand in 2024, new report finds
CTV
Food banks and charities across the country are bracing for an increase in demand in 2024, with more than one-third already reporting they have to turn people away.
Food banks and charities across Canada are bracing for an increase in demand in 2024, with more than one-third already reporting they have to turn people away.
According to the Second Harvest’s annual “Hungry for Change” study, demand across the country is expected to increase by 18 per cent. That translates to more than 1 million Canadians accessing food charity programs for the first time in 2024, the report stated.
“People in Canada can’t keep up with rising food costs,” said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest. “More people are being pushed towards food charity, which for most people comes as a last resort. Food charities already struggle to meet the current demand, with many of them being forced to turn people away and add their names to growing waitlists for support. Our systems are buckling under the pressure.”
In Toronto, demand is expected to increase even more, as high as 30 per cent.
For many clients, it’s a difficult choice of paying for bills or groceries.
“It’s hard, I feel pressure,” said Christian Herrera, who lined up at the Fort York Food Bank for the first time after recently being laid-off from his construction job. “After I pay rent I have no money.”
Food banks and non-profits have been experiencing unprecedented demand while facing resource challenges, forcing many organizations to turn clients away or put them on waitlists.
