Edmonton’s Food Bank has released its 2023 Beyond Food client survey. It comes at a time when food banks not just in Edmonton but across the country are seeing a greater need than ever before.
Currently, in Edmonton, 35,000 hampers are given out every month, about 500 of those people were questioned for this survey.
Results showed that 27 per cent of people using the food bank are working, up by five per cent from 2018, and those who work said they have low wages. The most common barrier to employment was a health condition or a disability.
The survey also showed 75 per cent are renting at market price, 47 per cent have higher stress levels compared to last year and 86 per cent don’t have any savings.
When respondents are running low on money the top three things they are most likely to cut back on are rent or mortgage, food and clothing. The survey noted that many people already only spend their money on rent and food, making it the only option to cut back on.
Edmonton’s Food Bank executive director Marjorie Bencz said people are turning to credit cards to afford to survive.
“They are relying heavily on credit cards, or line of credit, borrowing … Those kinds of things which may solve the problem on the very short term but may cause problems for the individual or family over time,” Bencz said.
Bencz said when people used to be asked how much extra money they needed so they would no longer have to use the food bank, people used to say about $500, but now people said they need more than $700.
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She said these numbers speak to the need of affordable housing and other measures to make a difference for people struggling to afford to survive. The plan is to take the survey results to governments to see if they can make meaningful change.
“Handing out of food, people are appreciative and it helps people for a short period of time, but we also need to have those conversations about how we reduce food insecurity or hunger in our community.”
Food Banks Canada released its national report in late October and said food bank usage has hit an all-time high in the country.
The 2023 report shows 1,935,911 Canadians accessed food banks during that time, an increase of 32 per cent compared with the same period in 2022, and 78.5 per cent compared with March 2019.
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