With the rising cost of living, food security remains a problem for many in Waterloo Region. To help support community members in need, the Woolwich Community Services (WCS) launched its spring food drive this month.
Community members can drop off non-perishable items at Foodland Elmira, Food Basics Elmira or Woolwich Community Services. Some of the top needed items include mayo and canned fish; crackers and soup; peanut butter and jam; and baked beans and rice.
The WCS spring food drive coincides with the Food Bank of Waterloo Region’s spring food and fund drive. The organization notes demand for food assistance remains at “historic levels.”
The regional organization aims is to raise 120,000 meals by June 20. According to CEO Kim Wilhelm, nearly 73,000 individuals in the Waterloo region are relying on food assistance, roughly one in nine households.
“I can tell you just a few years ago, that number was one in 20. So, when we look a littlemore specifically into that, in the month of February, 8,600 households receive support through one of our food assistance programs, and 201 households receive support from Woolwich Community Services. Really, what we know is that food insecurity is a community-wide issue, an issue right across the country,” she said.
“It’s affecting people each and every day who are having to make impossible choices between food and other basic necessities. No one should have to make difficult choices about whether to pay for food or gas that’s going to get them to and from a job, food or a household expense, and these are impossible choices that no one should have to make.”
While food banks were originally meant to be an emergency service for people to use in the short term, more people are relying on them for a longer-term support out of necessity. In February, out of the 8,600 households using the Foodbank of Waterloo Region, only 290 were new households seeking assistance. This means roughly 96.6 per cent of foodbank users in February depended on the service for more than one month.
“A lot of it has to do with the high cost of food and people working multiple jobs in order to try and make ends meet. Some people may work full-time Monday to Friday and then have a part-time job on the weekend,” said Wilhelm.
Another factor stretching people’s wallets is the increase in gasoline prices. Wilhelm noted that for some people, the extra gas spending each month has to come out of their grocery budget.
With rising living costs driving more people to depend on food banks, Wilhelm argues that the reliance on community food programs points to systemic issues, including limited progress on affordable housing and living wages.
“There’s no single reason why somebody accesses the food assistance program, but what we do know is that food insecurity is a symptom of poverty, and it means that people can’t afford to purchase food. In order for someone to be able to afford food, we need to make some systemic changes. We need to make sure that people have enough funds in their budget to afford those basics,” said Wilheim.
She notes that to address food security, people need more financial support, particularly those on lower incomes who depend on social assistance programs.
“OW (Ontario Works) hasn’t increased since 2018, but we know the cost of living has gone up at enormous rates since 2018. What we know is that we need to make the cost of living more affordable overall for people,” said Wilheim.
Since 2018, the cost of living for Canadians has gone up significantly, partly driven by high inflation from 2021 to 2023. The Bank of Canada has an online inflation calculator showing the fluctuations in the price of a “basket of goods and services.” According to their calculator, a “basket of goods and services” that cost $100 in 2018 would cost $125.21 in 2026.
“Unfortunately, system change that we’re talking about has to come at a federal and provincial level. Local governments can help advocate for that. Community members can help advocate for that,” said Wilhelm.
“Economic growth will help. But economic growth alone isn’t enough, because many people accessing support are already working, but in low-paying jobs or unstable jobs, and without structural changes, people remain stuck in a cycle of ongoing reliance on food programs. Our community can help individuals right now, today, who need food assistance, but multiple levels of government have to come together to make long-term change,” she added.
“It still doesn’t make sense that in a country of ours, people still have to wonder where they’re going to get food. It keeps me up at night knowing that people are making those impossible choices. It’s frustrating. I think about the parents who sometimes choose to go without food so their children can eat. As a mom myself, that breaks my heart to hear that. Food is a basic human right, and I strongly believe that no one should have to choose for basic human rights. But nearly 73,000 people in Waterloo Region are doing that each and every day.”
