FOOD INSECURITY
The importance of healthy food
Food insecurity is a serious public health problem in Canada because individuals’ health and wellbeing are tightly linked to their household food security status.
Healthy food is the fuel that allows us to live, work and play in our communities. No person should have to choose to go without it to prioritize other vital needs. With inflation and rising costs of living affecting all of us, those who live on or near the poverty line have been hit the hardest. Often vulnerable individuals are forced to pick whether they keep a roof over their heads and the lights on or whether they go to bed with a full stomach.
A lack of sufficient nutrients can have disastrous effects on a child’s development and impact their success in the classroom and the community. Families that struggle to put food on the table start an unfortunate pattern that begins to affect all aspects of life. Together, we must work towards a food secure community. One that doesn’t have more than 50,000 people accessing a food bank or food security program.
The Facts:
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More than 60,000 people in Niagara struggle to afford healthy food.
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1 in 8 households don’t have enough income to cover shelter, bills, and food.
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During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 in 10 Canadians aged 12 and older reported experience of food insecurity in the previous 12 months.