The requests for help at food banks across Windsor-Essex are not letting up and could rise even further.
As the heads of Canada's biggest grocery companies continue to face scrutiny from Ottawa about grocery prices, the head of the association that oversees Windsor-Essex's food banks said this has resulted in more people than ever coming to them for help.
June Muir, the CEO of the UHC Hub of Opportunities, and president of the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association, told WindsorNewsToday.ca that with the association's food banks, there is a massive increase of people using their food-based services.
"In 2022, we had 109,000 visits," said Muir. "As of September of this year, there were over 146,000 visits. So that was just from January to September."
The increase appeared to take hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people who were laid off during lockdowns were often forced to find help with keeping their pantries stocked.
"Pre-pandemic, we provided 300 hampers, and to date, we've provided 1,500. So that's a huge jump," said Muir.
The jump continued to get higher after the pandemic eased off, but inflation began going up soon after, followed by the increase in food prices. Muir said once that happened, the Hub saw many new clients.
"Twenty per cent stated that they went to a food bank because of the increase in food costs," said Muir. "Eighteen per cent have had postsecondary education, eight per cent are employed, and 30 per cent are new users. That is huge."
Muir added that they had to switch from a weekly to a biweekly distribution format and that people had to be turned away for the first time from a location in west Windsor.
The problem is certainly not only in Windsor-Essex, according to Food Banks Canada. The "hunger count", shown on its website, showed 1,935,911 visits to food banks nationwide in March 2023, a 32 per cent increase from March 2022. That also represents a 79 per cent national increase from 2019.
Muir said there has been a wide range of people who have started using food banks, including those who are employed full-time or underemployed, as well as students and newcomers.
There are 15 agencies and places of worship across Windsor-Essex that are part of the local food bank association. If you are looking for help or would like to donate ahead of the busy holiday season, the complete information is on the food bank association's official website.