EDITORIAL: Food bank usage shows families are hurting

Forget the cold economic numbers for a moment. Let’s talk about the people.

Because behind all of the reports on inflation and interest rate hikes that are now coming out — which can often read like a snooze — there are real lives taking a hit.

The ebb and flow of economic data is now turning into turbulence for Canadian families.

When it comes to the price of gas and the price of food, Canadians are already feeling it. Talking about the leap in grocery prices is one of the biggest items of discussion for regular folks these days.

But the areas of concern are broadening. A recent Sun story illustrates how this unfortunate fact is now playing out when it comes to food bank usage.

The number of people heading to food banks is now surging. This is deeply concerning.

Employees and volunteers at Toronto-area food banks told the Sun about how the number of visits to food banks has hiked dramatically. Also, the number of people visiting a food bank for the first time in their life has also gone up noticeably.

People are struggling so much with the rising price of groceries that they just can’t pay for them anymore.

The Daily Bread Food Bank, based out of Toronto, has seen usage triple from what levels were prior to the pandemic. The numbers keep growing every month, now reaching record highs.

In early 2020, there would be about 60,000 food bank visits per month throughout the Greater Toronto Area. That number is now at 181,000.

“It’s a bit scary,” said Diane Dyson, Daily Bread’s interim vice president of research and advocacy, in an interview with Scott Laurie.

“People use their savings, and they sell anything they have because the food bank is sort of the last place somebody wants to come. But when all those things run out, then they show up at our doors.”

It’s a problem that needs to be talked about. There is no glossing over how worrisome this trend is — and how it appears to only be worsening.

Families are hurting.