Hunger on the Rise: Record Food Bank Use Signals Growing Strain on Canadian Families

One of Josephine Sindani’s earliest memories of hardship is wrapped in an unexpected sense of comfort.

She was eight years old, new to Ottawa and still unaccustomed to its freezing winters after moving from Halifax. Her family had arrived in Canada from Sudan only a couple of years earlier. One afternoon, she watched her pregnant mother make her way home through the snow, weighed down by a large bag filled with food, warm clothing, and Christmas gifts.

Now 34, Sindani understands what that moment truly represented a family quietly leaning on community support to survive. For years, food banks helped sustain her mother and three children until stable employment became possible. Yet those early visits were not the last time Sindani would need assistance.

As an adult, she returned to food banks during periods of upheaval: as a university student facing pregnancy with limited income, later while expecting her second child and trying to build a small construction business, and again during the economic shutdown brought on by the pandemic.

Each time, the decision to ask for help came with emotional weight.

“It hits your confidence,” she said. “You feel like you’ve let yourself down. But needing help doesn’t mean you’ve failed.”

Stories like Sindani’s are becoming increasingly common across the country. New figures released by Food Banks Canada show that reliance on food banks has surged to historic levels.

In March 2024 alone, food banks recorded more than two million visits nationwide, nearly doubling usage compared with five years ago. The increase comes despite easing inflation and recent interest rate cuts a sign, advocates say, that relief has yet to reach those living paycheque to paycheque.

Rising rents, high grocery prices, and limited income supports are pushing more Canadians toward emergency food assistance. The pressure is especially intense among renters, seniors, newcomers, people with disabilities, and families raising children.

Food Banks Canada chief executive Kirstin Beardsley described the situation as unsustainable.

According to the organization’s HungerCount 2024 report, nearly one-third of food bank users are children, amounting to about 700,000 visits each month. At the same time, hunger is no longer confined to unemployment almost one in five visitors is currently working, and the majority live in privately rented housing.

Advocates are urging governments to move beyond short-term fixes. Among the recommendations are expanded rent supports and a new monthly benefit to help low-income households manage essential expenses. One proposal suggests increasing the GST credit and delivering it monthly to provide predictable support.

At a small church-run food bank in north Toronto, the impact of rising demand is felt weekly. What started in 2021 as a modest program serving a handful of people has grown into a lifeline for hundreds.

Coordinator Yesmil Pena says seniors particularly older women now make up a noticeable share of visitors. Items like baby food, children’s diapers, and adult incontinence supplies are in constant demand.

Volunteer Vanda Zanini said limited supplies force painful decisions.

“There isn’t enough protein for everyone,” she said. “We try to prioritize children, but it’s hard knowing adults are going without. Still, we do everything we can.”

Today, Sindani is financially stable and no longer relies on food banks. But she remains outspoken about the importance of compassion and understanding.

“When you’re struggling, even a kind smile can make a difference,” she said. “Food banks give more than groceries they give reassurance.”

Her message to those hesitating to seek help is simple: survival is not a moral failing.

“Needing support doesn’t define you,” Sindani said. “It just means you’re human.”