More people in Windsor-Essex worry about, can't access food than ever before
1 in 4 households last year were food insecure in Windsor-Essex: local health unit
As more people in Windsor-Essex turn to food banks, one leader in the sector says food insecurity is an emergency in the region.
June Muir, CEO of Windsor's UHC - Hub of Opportunities, says that in her 24 years she's never seen the need for food this high.
"For me, it's an emergency," she said.
"Food banks have become a necessity. We're not here for emergency food assistance any longer."
Food insecurity, which is when people worry about or don't have secure and adequate access to food, has been on the rise across Canada. Families with low or unstable income are more likely to experience food insecurity, according to a report from the University of Toronto's PROOF Food Insecurity Policy Research program.
Households with a single mom and people who identify as Black, Indigenous or South Asian are also more at risk of not having adequate access to food, according to Statistics Canada.
Last month the City of Mississauga declared food insecurity an emergency. And last year, the executive of a food bank in Toronto said the city is in a crisis, as more people rely on food banks as a necessity.
When asked whether the City of Windsor should consider calling food insecurity an emergency, Muir says she'll be speaking with the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association (WEFBA) about that in January. But based on the rising number of food bank visits, she's concerned.
"Housing is very expensive and there's not enough affordable housing. So our clients are putting a lot of their income, you know, towards rent, utilities ... and then of course when you go to the grocery store, there's not much left over for them, you know, to purchase food items," Muir said.
1 in 4 families in Windsor-Essex are food insecure
In 2023, 24 per cent or one in four families in Windsor-Essex didn't have secure or adequate access to food, according to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU).
That's the highest it's ever been, says WECHU.
"Even though our minimum wage did just increase to $17 dollars, when we look at our living wage rate for Windsor and Essex — so what it would cost to live comfortably — we're looking at closer to $20 dollars an hour," said Karen Bellemore, a public health nutritionist at WECHU.
"When you don't have that income to match the rise of the costs, people start compromising and food tends to be a flexible expense."
Last year, the WEFBA logged more than 211,000 visits to its 15 food bank locations, with more than 27,700 people relying on donations. That's an increase of more than 21,000 visits from 2022.
In 2023, WEFBA had more than 10, 500 first-time users — a 27 per cent increase from 2022.
The UHC - Hub of Opportunities, located in Windsor's Forest Glade neighbourhood, hands out 300 food hampers daily, according to Muir.
Volunteers offer helping hands during high demand
The people behind those hampers? Men who are in addiction recovery. They are staying at a sober living house, Hand in Hand, in Windsor.
On top of volunteering, the men are also some of the community members who currently rely on food donations.
One pair of helping hands belongs to Andrew Reimer, who is originally from Kingsville.
"There's been hard times in my life where like, you know, I've been laid off or something like that and I just need some help from the community and it's nice that we have places like this that we can rely on," he said.
Ryan Smyth is a volunteer and food bank user.
"After working here ... you see every walk of life imaginable coming through the doors ... and it's just humbling," he said.
Here's what can reduce food insecurity
At a WECHU board of health meeting Thursday night, members will look to pass a motion that calls on federal and provincial levels of government to make policy changes that would boost income supports. This, says WECHU, would help reduce food insecurity.
The board says it's advocating for the following:
- Increasing the amount of money given in the Canada Child Benefit program (which helps eligible families with kids under 18 years old).
- Providing a basic income guarantee for people between the ages of 18 and 64.
- Enhancing the Canada disability benefit.
- Giving access to automatic income-tax returns for low income Canadians.
They're also calling on the provincial government to use local food affordability data when deciding on social assistance and to index Ontario Works rates to inflation, so that they keep up with the cost of living.
According to Muir, food banks in the region are having a hard time keeping food on shelves and they're continuing to ask for donations.
To help out, you can go to the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association's website to find all 15 food bank locations to drop off food at, you can also volunteer or send a cash donation.
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