Startling new data from Food Banks Canada showed the organization recorded more than two million visits in March 2024 -- nearly double the monthly visits five years ago in March 2019.
Something that is happening locally as well according to the president of the Windsor Essex Food Bank Association.
Speaking on AM800's The Dan MacDonald Show, June Muir, who is also CEO of the Unemployed Help Centre Hub of Opportunities, says usage numbers continue to rise.
"We are in a crisis situation. Food banks are seeing a significant increase. At the UHC - Hub of Opportunities we are serving 1,800 a week, which is huge. We have 15 food banks in the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association, so we see the need growing. And it is a crisis, and it is something we all should be concerned about."
She says the food bank saw 211,000 visits in 2023, of those were 27 per cent were first time users.
"The need continues to climb, and so donors are donating but our donations are less. So it's so important that our community continues to donate, everyone is feeling food inflation so they're perhaps maybe in a position where they cant donate as much."
Muir says invited the community to come in and volunteer to see first hand the need.
"Some of our Food Banks are calling us saying they have no food on their shelves, and I'm not sure our community realizes the need and it's working people, it's seniors."
The Food Banks Canada report released Monday called on governments to introduce measures that include rent assistance and a monthly payment to low-income groups to help off-set rent and food costs.
Muir agreed stating the government needed step up and provide a better social safety network.
More information on food assistance in Windsor-Essex can be found here: https://www.uhc.ca/food-assistance/.
-With files from The Canadian Press