Hunger in canada

Food security lesson What is food security? Food security: exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

Food insecurity Food insecurity: When people do not always have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Question: Do you feel that Canada as a nation has food security? Do you think your local community has food security? Why or why not?

Answer: Canada as a nation does not have food security. Chances are that your local community also does not have food security. Did you know that according to the Ontario Food Bank Association, in March of this year, 375, 789 people across Ontario accessed local food banks. This is higher than the total population of London, ON or of cities such as Guelph, Kingston, and Thunder Bay combined!

Who is using food banks in Ontario? Food bank clients include post-secondary students, highly educated individuals and recent university graduates, senior citizens, wage workers, single parent households, and Ontarians with disabilities. 131, 734 children access food banks each month  Most of the people accessing food banks DO have a monthly income, they simply aren’t making enough money to cover all of their monthly costs. Only 4.7% of people using food banks have no monthly income

Take a guess! On a scrap piece of paper, write down who you believe uses food banks the most: Demographics of Food Bank Users: women 18+, post secondary students, senior citizens 65+, Aboriginal Persons, Immigrants or Refugees? Types of Families Using Food Banks: single parent families, two parent families, couples with no children, or single people?

Demographics of those using food banks in 2012

Types of families using food banks in 2012

Sources of Income for food bank users for 2012

How did you do? -Were you surprised by who uses food banks most? Why or why not? (Class discussion)

What food banks are doing to help Other than offering food items to people in need, food banks also provide many food focused programs to help those in need. Some of the food focused programs include: Community kitchens Community garden or garden plots Low-cost produce (e.g. Good Food Box) Diet Specific Items Holiday Hampers Mobile Hamper/delivery of food

Other services offered by food banks Nutrition Education Rental Housing Lists Training Education Emergency Shelter Information about voting in elections Low-cost/FreeFurniture Budgeting/Home economics Clothing/Thrift Store Community service information/referrals Advocacy for Clients Assistance with Employment Search Programs for Pregnant women/New Moms Emergency/Preventative Health Care Child Care/Other Child-Youth Programs

Video links I live in real poverty, and it's not what you think – video Meal Exchange - An Introduction to Food Security