[Великая Эпоха, 14 ноября 2023 г.](The Epoch Times reporter Chu FangmingTorontoReport) Latest Torontonian NewspoorThe situation report shows that at a time when the cost of living is skyrocketing, wages are stagnant and 10 per cent of Torontonians are in high school.food bankAs for rations, the number of new people relying on Toronto food banks has doubled this year, pushing them to the brink of collapse.
Tuesday (November 14) twoTorontoCharity – Daily Breadfood bankThe Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest Food Bank released an annual report called Who’s Hungry.
“Rising housing costs, food inflation, stagnant wages and insufficient income support are leaving more and more households in dire straits,” the report said.poor. “
Reports show food banks are overwhelmed due to a surge in people coming to buy food. This year, the number of visits to the Toronto Food Bank reached 2.53 million, up 51% from last year and a record high. If this continues, by the end of this year there will be more than 3 million people visiting the food bank; the Toronto Food Bank has seen a 154% increase in new users this year.
Most new food recipients are employed
Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Neil Hetherington told CP24 on Tuesday: “Each month, 12,000 Torontonians register with us to join the food service industry, and most of them have jobs.”
The report says the average monthly income of food bank users is $1,131, well below Toronto’s official poverty line, which is currently $2,302 per month for individuals.
About 89% of food bank users are housing-challenged, and about a quarter of them spend all of their income on housing, making them highly likely to become homeless.
“This year’s report is the worst since Daily Bread and North York Harvest published reports,” Herrington said. “One in 10 Torontonians receive food from a food bank. It’s terrible. We need to do something.”
Call on the federal government to increase disability benefits
The report’s authors also call on Ottawa to quickly develop and implement a disability benefits policy so that eligible recipients can receive them by 2025. Currently, 18% of people with disabilities who rely on food banks cannot receive Ontario Disability Payments (ODSP) and can only rely on Ontario Works. This subsidy is $733 per person per month. ◇
Responsible Editor: Wen Fang