New app puts spotlight on hunger in rural Ontario
CBC
An online tool is shedding light on the scope of food insecurity in the Bruce Grey area.
It's difficult to track homelessness and hunger in large, rural regions like Bruce Grey. But the demand for meal programs and other supports has been growing exponentially in recent years.
"Food insecurity in our area is really a hidden issue. It affects more than one in seven people in our community," said Paul Wagenaar, food security coordinator for Bruce Grey United Way.
"And when people look at our communities, they see how wealthy they are. They see the amount of food. So it's not something that most people consider, but it is a huge problem here."
To bring their foodbank and meal programs together while unlocking the power of data, the United Way partnered with start-up company NPX to build the Food Bruce Grey App.
Previous hunger reports were using data that was up to two years old, so they were usually out of date.
The new platform allows food programs to capture and share their data in real-time, showing their impact on the community.
Wagenaar said the data will help to correct misconceptions about food insecurity.
"There's a perception among a lot of people that it doesn't affect as many people as it does," he said. "And the reality of the situation is skyrocketing rents and the cost of housing is actually affecting more people than it ever has before."
The demand for food banks in rural Ontario is relatively steady. However, there has been an increase for community meal programs in Bruce Grey.
There were 15 community meal programs operating prior to the pandemic. During the pandemic, only nine of them have been open, and their demand has gone up by more than 300 per cent.
The app displays what those community meal programs are, and how many meals have been distributed. It also shows how much food has been "rescued" by food banks, or diverted from corporate sources to give back to those in need.
Other screens reveal stats on demographics, volunteering and how much fresh produce has been distributed.
Wagenaar said he hopes that having clear, accurate and up-to-date information on the reality of food insecurity will eventually lead to long-term change from policy makers.
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