Canadian Food Banks Calls For Change

The driving factor behind food bank use is poverty says Canadian Food Banks. Economic disruptions, low incomes, and government policies that don’t provide adequate support are what keep the number of food bank users persistently and unacceptably high. Food banks from coast to coast to coast are there when people must choose between shelter, clothing, and feeding their family.

The fact is that the way we support our most vulnerable citizens has not evolved since the 1990s says Canadian Food Banks, and people remain mired in a cycle of poverty that is difficult to escape. 60% of those in need of food banks rely on some form of social assistance.

 Individual provinces left to themselves are not a reliable option in the move towards a basic income for all. The recent change of government in Ontario illustrates this. The desire to take steps towards a basic income is a national issue that affects all Canadians in one way or another and we are asking the federal government to show leadership on this front.

 There needs to be a better way. Canadian Food Banks urge the federal government to:

• Fund and develop basic income pilot projects of various forms in different provinces and territories across the country
• Accumulate and analyze the data of these pilot projects over multiple years
• Allow low-income households access to non-cash benefits that are currently only available to people on social assistance
• Convert federal non-refundable tax credits into refundable tax credits to support more low-income Canadians in the short-term

ABC Note: In 1987, the Canadian food bank community created the Canadian Association of Food Banks to represent food banks nationally. There are now over 700 food banks and 3,000 food programs available in Canada. In 2008, HungerCount reported that on average, 704,414 individuals used a food bank per month.

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