There are many heartbreaking tales behind the record number of Canadians using food banks as they struggle with high inflation and mounting housing costs, says a Vancouver food bank executive.

香蕉视频直播淲e see parents who are skipping meals so that their children can eat. We see people who haven香蕉视频直播檛 eaten in days. We see seniors who haven香蕉视频直播檛 had produce in months,香蕉视频直播� said Cynthia Boulter, chief operating officer with Greater Vancouver Food Banks.

More and more people are accessing its services each year, and with greater frequency than in the past, Boulter said, as low wages and high rents squeeze people between inflation and other rising costs.

Boulter said the 香蕉视频直播渦nprecedented, record-breaking times香蕉视频直播� are being felt by food banks across the country, where nearly two million people visited in the month of March, 32 per cent more than the same month the year before, and a 78 per cent increase compared with March 2019.

The numbers, contained in Food Banks Canada香蕉视频直播檚 annual Hunger Count report, highlight how Canadians are more food insecure than ever before as governments have seemingly ignored 香蕉视频直播渂laring alarm bells,香蕉视频直播� the report said.

The data was collected from food banks across Canada, and this year香蕉视频直播檚 Hunger Count, as well as other studies, show more and more Canadians are 香蕉视频直播渟truggling to pay for basic expenses, and that levels of food insecurity are rising dramatically.香蕉视频直播�

Seniors, single mothers, low-income workers, people on social assistance, and immigrants continue to drive food bank use, but this year香蕉视频直播檚 report showed a rise in use among working people in higher income brackets.

More than 40 per cent of users are on provincial social assistance programs, the report said, with stagnant payments thatput most recipients under the official poverty line.

Indigenous people are disproportionately represented among food bank users at 12 per cent, while making up around five per cent of the general population, the report said.

More than a quarter of food bank users are immigrants who have been in Canada for less than a decade, the report said, a usage rate that has doubled since 2016.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 one thing to look at a report filled with these big numbers,香蕉视频直播� said Food Banks Canada香蕉视频直播檚 CEO Kirstin Beardsley. 香蕉视频直播淏ehind every single one of these numbers is a person, and I know what it takes for someone to get to the point where they香蕉视频直播檙e turning to a food bank for help, and so you replicate that two million times in a single month and it香蕉视频直播檚 heartbreaking.香蕉视频直播�

Beardsley said that those in the food bank sector across the country say the explosive growth in usage numbers are 香蕉视频直播渦nsustainable.香蕉视频直播�

Political action, she said, means that governments need to make 香蕉视频直播渓ong term social policy investments,香蕉视频直播� from action on affordable housing to increasing fixed income rates.

香蕉视频直播淭hese are investments in our ability to thrive as a nation,香蕉视频直播� she said.

As the affordability crisis has intensified, Beardsley said, people who work at food banks 香蕉视频直播渜uite frankly, are shouldering too much of this burden.香蕉视频直播�

Food bank usage is a 香蕉视频直播渜uiet problem香蕉视频直播� where many people 香蕉视频直播渟uffer in silence,香蕉视频直播� she said, and only widespread public outrage will drive the political courage to create meaningful change.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e not talking about a small investment in the future of this country,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淲hat really drives political courage, to be honest, is everyday folks like you and I getting mad enough to make this a ballot issue, to make this an issue at the election, to not let our elected officials at every level of government off the hook anymore.香蕉视频直播�

Even as the report paints a grim picture, Beardsley said food banks remain places of 香蕉视频直播渉ope,香蕉视频直播� where communities come together to lift up those in need.

For those in the food bank sector to be ultimately successful would mean no more need for them, and they香蕉视频直播檙e essentially hoping to work themselves 香蕉视频直播渙ut of a job,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Until then, Beardsley said, 香蕉视频直播渢here香蕉视频直播檚 no choice but to keep raising our voices, telling our stories, sharing the data, and if we香蕉视频直播檝e got a whole country behind us, I don香蕉视频直播檛 think we can be ignored.香蕉视频直播�

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