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Daily Bread kicks off its annual spring sorting campaign amid spike in food bank use
More than 200 volunteers gathered at the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto on Saturday for the launch of its annual Spring Food Sort, which helps organize donations for families facing hunger across the city.
“The impact of skyrocketing housing costs, combined with food inflation, stagnating wages and insufficient income supports continue to create unsustainable living conditions for tens of thousands of our neighbours,” said Neil Hetherington, CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank.
According to the Daily Bread’s 2023 “Who’s Hungry” report, one in 10 Torontonians rely on food banks, which is twice as many compared to the year before. Additionally, the report found that close to a quarter of food bank users spend their entire income on housing, ultimately leaving them with little to no money for other essentials such as food. This also puts them at high risk of homelessness.
Last month, the food bank reportedly had more than 300,000 visitors, an increase of 40 per cent from last year and 136 per cent in 2022. It was a number the food bank said it wasn’t expecting to reach until later in the spring.
Hetherington added that while it’s “disheartening” to know that such a large portion of the city’s population relies on food banks, he is hopeful that the community will rally to support by not just providing food and funds, but also by demanding change from governments at all levels.
The food bank is also encouraging people to send a letter to their local MP asking them to fully fund the Canada Disability Benefit, adding that “one in three food bank users in Toronto report having a disability or health condition that is expected to last a year or more.”
And if that happens when the federal government unveils its 2024 budget on April 16, Hetherington, along with so many others, will feel a sense of relief.
“There would be there would be such a sense of joy that the community came together and said enough is enough when it comes to food insecurity and legislating people who are disabled to live in deep poverty,” he said. “It would be an outward acknowledgment of the tremendous amounts of work done by communities across the country who have lobbied for years to be able to realize this.”
This year, the food bank’s spring fundraising goal is set at $3.2 million and the food raising goal is set to two million pounds. At this time, the food drive said the most-needed non-perishable items include high-protein foods like peanut butter, canned beans and tuna, as well as other foods like canned fruits, vegetables and oatmeal.
Food donations can be made at most grocery stores across the city and monetary donations can be made online, the food bank said.
“Every dollar donated is the equivalent of one meal for someone experiencing hunger,” the food bank said.
Hetherington explained that all food donations made will get sorted and screened for expiry dates before it goes out into the community through Daily Bread’s network of 200 food programs. “All the food that we sort will probably be out in the community within the next week or two,” he said.
The campaign runs until April 30.