'It's disheartening,' more kids visiting Hamilton food banks: report

A new report by the Hamilton Food Share shows that more children are in needand visiting food banks across the city.

Their annual hunger report gives a "snapshot" of thoseaccessing Hamiltonfood banks and hot meal programs.While the number of people accessing food banks this past year rose by five per cent, thenumberof children lining up increased by six per cent.

This means that5,000 different children arevisiting food banks a month. And not only is the number of children that need foodgrowing they're visiting more often.

In March 2019, childrenmade a total of 9,125 visits to food banks, which is a 10 per cent increase from the previous year.On a typical day, says the food share, children are using food banks 304 times.

The Director of Hamilton Food Share, Joanne Santucci, said that she was crushed by the increase.

"Most parents want better things for their children," she said. "They worry about all kinds of things...and when you have to worry about the basics of things,even food...it's very disheartening."

"This should bring every policy maker to the table with a focused political will for change."

Affordable housing

In a media release, the food share says that one of the biggestreasons why food bank use is increasingis the lack of affordable housing. The report says that households that access food banks are using more than half of their income, on average, onhousing. This putshouseholds at more risk for homelessness.

"The disparaging chasm between what it costs to, basically, feed yourself and your family and keep the roof over your head, is exponential," Santucci said, and added that whileHamilton is seeing economic growth, people are experiencingextreme poverty.

Around 400 people accessing the food share's programming are paying 100 per cent or more of their total income for rent and utilities.

Santucci said that the striking numbers have prompted people to pitch in. Ananonymous donor gave$26,100 to the food share for the purchase of86,000 cans of baby formula, whichwill go out with their emergency food network to parents Tuesday afternoon. And while the gesture is incredible, Santucci says that there's more work left to do.

"It's going to have an unbelievable impact a fantastic impact but we still know that when that formula's gone, when that surge of support's gone, we still have people living so far below the poverty line that homelessness now is the next riskthey're facing," Santucci said.

With the arriving winter weather, the food share says pressures for balancing fundswill increase,withthe cold and snow addingexpenseslike heating bills andwinter boots and coats.

The food share says that children make up 40 per cent of the people who go hungry in Hamilton, with thedowntown core having the second highest per capita rate of food bank usage in Ontario.