Ontario food bank turns clients away: ‘Demand was greater than the food we had’

A food bank in southern Ontario had to turn clients away earlier this month after high demand emptied its shelves.

About two weeks ago, the Salvation Army Food Bank in Brant County had to temporarily close for a day when its Paris, Ont., location ran out of donations.

Capt. Joshua Cain said it was a situation they’ve never experienced before – and a sign the ongoing affordability crisis in Canada isn’t easing.

“This isn’t something that’s going to go away any time soon,” he told Global News.

“The affordability crisis is a complex issue and there’s no one simple solution.”

The temporary closure happened at what’s usually a tough time for food banks, Cain said.

In the summer, food banks often see either a plateau or a decrease in donations, with those picking up around holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

However, demand has not dwindled – but is in fact increasing, as several reports from food bank organizations have pointed out.

Cain said the day they had to close down their food bank, a staff member who has worked there for 20 years said it was the first time they’ve ever seen that happen.

“It wasn’t a situation where we would ever willingly choose to do, it was just the reality of the situation,” he said.

“The demand was greater than the food we had available that day to be able to provide.”

In June, Food Banks Canada released a report suggesting the number of Canadians living in poverty may be higher than previously thought.

The organization estimates 25 per cent of Canadians could fall under this category because they can’t afford two or more household essentials.

In November 2023, Feed Ontario – a food bank network in the province – said food bank usage is steadily on the rise, with a 38 per cent increase witnessed in 2022 compared with the year prior.

It points to precarious availability of work, the erosion of social support programs and a lack of affordable housing as long-standing factors. Meanwhile, the skyrocketing cost of living is a more recent contributor.

It notes more workers are turning to food banks, with one in six food bank visitors citing employment as their main source of income in the period covered by the report. That represents a 37 per cent increase over the previous year and an 82 per cent increase over 2016-17, the report says.

“It used to be that having a job meant that you would not need to access a food bank,” Feed Ontario’s chief executive officer, Carolyn Stewart, wrote in a statement at the time.

“This is no longer the case. Working Ontarians are having trouble earning enough income to afford today’s cost of living, even when working multiple jobs or trying to cut expenses.”

Cain said among the clients visiting the Salvation Army Food Bank in Brant County are single parents, seniors and newcomers to Canada.

Feed Ontario added that at the time, 70 per cent of food banks in its survey expressed concern about being able to meet current food needs.

Cain said since it had to close down, the Salvation Army Food Bank in Paris has received “very encouraging” support from the community, and has since been able to stay open.

However, he said the overall affordability crisis is far from improving.

“I don’t think it’s going to taper off any time soon,” he said.

“For us, having those conversations with community partners, bringing different folks to the table (and asking) how do we find innovative ways … to help address food insecurity in our community.”