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HUNGER IN CANADA

The face of hunger is real and it’s very close to home.

Your neighbour, a work colleague, a friend, someone in your family; hunger isn’t an issue reserved solely for strangers or the homeless. Food insecurity can be found even within our closest circles and more often than not, these people go by quietly unnoticed.

HUNGER CAN HIT ANYONE AT ANY TIME

There can be a stigma attached to poverty, yet more than half of Canadians are less than a paycheque away from dire financial circumstances1. An illness, accident, job loss, or dangerous family situation can push anyone over the edge and into the position of having to use a food bank.

Number of Visits (HC)

There was a total of
1,935,911 visits
to food banks across Canada in March 2023 – up 32%

Children

33% of food banks users in Canada are children, while only representing 20% of the population

Singles

43.8% of food banks users in Canada are single adult households, while representing 29.3% of the population

Seniors

Seniors represent 8%
of Canadian food banks users, with the rate of increase far outpacing other age groups.

Social Assistance

42.4% of Canadian food banks users are on social assistance or disability-related supports as their main source of income

Employed

1 in 6 of those accessing food banks in Canada are employed

2023 HungerCount report

Poverty Vulnerability Map

View Full Report

Poverty in Canada Through a Deprivation Lens

Exploring Barriers to Food Access

Learn More

Sue

Living with a common-law husband who was physically abusive, Sue had the courage to walk away with her two young sons. Now she’s trying to figure out how to make ends meet in Toronto, a city where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country. As a single mom earning minimum wage at a part-time job, the road hasn’t been an easy one. Sue isn’t getting child support, as she doesn’t want to risk further contact with her ex. Plus on top of it all, one of her boys has a learning disability, which adds extra stress to an already financially tight situation. But like many of us, Sue is a survivor.

Living with a common-law husband who was physically abusive, Sue had the courage to walk away with her two young sons. Now she’s trying to figure out how to make ends meet in Toronto, a city where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country. As a single mom earning minimum wage at a part-time job, the road hasn’t been an easy one. Sue isn’t getting child support, as she doesn’t want to risk further contact with her ex. Plus on top of it all, one of her boys has a learning disability, which adds extra stress to an already financially tight situation. But like many of us, Sue is a survivor.

Doug

Doug is a divorced man in his 50s living outside of a small town in New Brunswick. Overall, he considers himself a pretty fortunate guy. He’s had stable work at the local mill, enabling him to buy a house, which he lovingly renovated using his woodworking skills. For a while, life was good. But then, due to circumstances beyond his control, Doug lost his job. Unfortunately, the local economy hasn’t been the best, so he’s been out of work for a few years. To make matters worse, Doug lost the use of one of his arms in an accident, which has prevented him from pursuing the same line of employment. Now he has to figure out what comes next. For most people, starting over can seem like a daunting task. However, Doug takes comfort in knowing that with the help of his local food bank, he’s not on this journey alone.

Doug is a divorced man in his 50s living outside of a small town in New Brunswick. Overall, he considers himself a pretty fortunate guy. He’s had stable work at the local mill, enabling him to buy a house, which he lovingly renovated using his woodworking skills. For a while, life was good. But then, due to circumstances beyond his control, Doug lost his job. Unfortunately, the local economy hasn’t been the best, so he’s been out of work for a few years. To make matters worse, Doug lost the use of one of his arms in an accident, which has prevented him from pursuing the same line of employment. Now he has to figure out what comes next. For most people, starting over can seem like a daunting task. However, Doug takes comfort in knowing that with the help of his local food bank, he’s not on this journey alone.

Maryam

Maryam is married with four children. She and her husband, Abdel, left good-paying jobs in their home country in search of a safer life and better education for their kids. But settling into Canada has been more of a struggle than anticipated. In addition to having to improve their English, Maryam and Abdel have encountered a higher cost of living, made difficult by the fact that they are unable to work in their respective fields. While the decision to move to a new country has involved making many sacrifices, Maryam believes it will pay off in the end because she and Abdel are creating a better life for their family.

Maryam is married with four children. She and her husband, Abdel, left good-paying jobs in their home country in search of a safer life and better education for their kids. But settling into Canada has been more of a struggle than anticipated. In addition to having to improve their English, Maryam and Abdel have encountered a higher cost of living, made difficult by the fact that they are unable to work in their respective fields. While the decision to move to a new country has involved making many sacrifices, Maryam believes it will pay off in the end because she and Abdel are creating a better life for their family.

Sue

Doug

Maryam

1Source: CTV News. Living paycheque-to-paycheque: ‘Canadians are under stress,’ warns Equifax

NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO FACE HUNGER ALONE: HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP