The Downtown Mission fed hundreds of Windsor-Essex residents in July, underscoring the growing demand for food assistance across the region.
The mission reports 683 households received food through its food bank last month, helping 1,173 individuals.
Executive Director Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin says the numbers are troubling because insecurity is affecting more working families than many people realize.
“It is alarming to see the growing needs of our community because these are individuals who have homes, who are settled. They are not staying in shelter, but they are coming to our food bank, as well as all the other food banks in our community to get food for themselves and their families,” Ponniah-Goulin said.
The mission’s food bank allows clients to access its services once per month, while other food bank partners and food pantries can provide additional support if needed.
Ponniah-Goulin says seeing children and seniors in food bank lines is especially heartbreaking.
“Unfortunately, a lot of elderly people and seniors today, they’re just having trouble affording life and they are reaching out to us for different types of support, including our food bank,” she said.
The food bank program receives no government funding and relies entirely on donations from the community.
While food donations are always welcome, the Mission says financial contributions are equally important to keep programs operating.
Ponniah-Goulin says there are specific items the organization is struggling to keep stocked.
“We’re always looking for donations. Meat and protein is usually the highest need because they are the more expensive items to donate,” she said.
Ponniah-Goulin says the mission is also facing additional expenses after its truck and van required repairs during what is typically a slower summer fundraising period.
Last year, the mission’s provided more than 239,000 meals through its food bank to over 15,000 people across Windsor-Essex.