Number of Islanders using food banks has changed little over last year, report says

There were3,152 client visits toP.E.I. food banks in March 2018, according to the 2018 Hunger Count report, released by Food Banks Canada Tuesday.

The Hunger Count report uses data collected from food banks during the month of March.

MikeMacDonald, general manager of the Upper Room Food Bank in Charlottetown, saidfor a province of P.E.I.'s size, that number is too high.

"I notice not a lot has changed for us over the last number of years that there are still individuals being left behind,"he said.

Changes indata collection

In previous years, the report counted clients to determine how much food banks were being relied upon. For the 2018 report, client visits were countedinstead.

This doesn't change the data too much for P.E.I., said MacDonald, as the Island's food banks typically only allow one visit per month, per client.

The Hunger Count report included six of the Island's food banks to gather the data.

The report found the percentage of children using food banks on the Island was 36.5 per cent.

Food bank visits made by single people on the Island were found to represent 38.8 per cent of the total visits, according to the report.

Unfortunately ...year after year,over 35 per cent of people using food banks on P.E.I. are children under the age of 18.- Mike MacDonald

Underemployment and hunger

Although the numbers haven't moved much over the last several years, MacDonald said, the numbers are still too high.

"Unfortunately, you know year after year, over 35 per cent of people using food banks on P.E.I. are children under the age of 18," he said.

The report also found that 38.9 per cent of total visits were made by Islanders on social assistance and 9.6 per cent were made by people relying on some kind of disability-related support.

"The majority of our clients are relying on some sort of government assistance," MacDonald said."And many of our clients do have trouble finding year-round and meaningful work, with high enough wages to make ends meet."

Finding meaningful employment and affordable housing are the biggest issues for clients,MacDonald said, adding underemployment and hunger on the Island are related issues.

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