"Why is he still complaining about food insecurity and the need for food banks? The economy is doing really well. Those long lines during the pandemic. That was just the pandemic."
We wrote about those long lines 3 years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. We thought these images would make a meaningful impact: spotlighting the number of people who are getting in long lines, lining up hours before the food banks open up.
"Let us remember these images when the pandemic subsides. Hunger is real for a lot of people. They should feel no shame for getting help."
So where are we in 2023?
"We used to spend $1.5 million per year on purchasing food. We spend now up to 1.8 million per month on food." — Neil Hetherington, CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto.
Imogen Birchard, a producer on Front Burner from CBC News, pointed out in her story that "In March, when Canada's unemployment rate was hovering at a near record low of 5%, the Daily Bread Food Bank broke their monthly record with 270,000 client visits up from 60(,000) to 70(,)000 pre-pandemic."
Congressional Republicans decided that too many people on food assistance needed to get off the rolls. The age was raised to 55 from 49 for adults without children to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for 3 months in a 3-year period unless they work a minimum of 20 hours per week.
This was part of the debt ceiling deal where the Republicans blackmailed the White House to get this concession. Let's not forget that in a "good" economy, people 50-54 already have trouble getting hired.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in new research said the change could result in almost 750,000 adults ages 50 to 54 losing their federal food assistance.
The White House did get work requirements waived for veterans, individuals who are homeless or facing housing instability, and youth aging out of foster care.
3 months of help, not much help within that amount, over a 3-year period when a lot of people can't find regular work. That feels cruel in an actually good economy, which isn't what we have now.
Even if they do find work, hours can easily be cut to below 20 hours a week, putting their limited benefits in danger through no fault of their own.
The numbers show the need is growing for people who work full time. Even with that level of income, some people are struggle to make ends meet without food assistance.
"The greatest concern and that that I want to impart is unemployment is low. And if we get to a situation where combating inflation through higher interest rates results in a slowing down of the economy and increased unemployment rates, we will be in a state that food banks have never been in before. Well, we're there now, but we will be. It's a crisis on a crisis on a crisis, and we're just getting to that third one." — said Hetherington.
While we dispute the employment numbers in both Canada and the United States, Hetherington makes a good point in one regard. A bad situation will become worse if (when?) employed people get tossed out of their jobs.
Food banks are dealing with one variable that usually isn't a factor. The rising costs of food mean they can't buy as much food for the same amount of money. Their food dollars don't go as far, just like their clients.
France has rules on supermarkets to reduce food waste. Spain was working on a similar law. Farmers struggle to get all their crops picked due to worker shortages.
Food banks now more important than ever in COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic
A "capitalist" society struggles with the idea of making sure people can get food because there must be payment. Food being wasted. People desperately needing food. We should make this work.
"I've tossed the idea by the board of directors of maybe we should you know, we have 200 food banks in the city of Toronto maybe we should shut them down and just distribute food at one location until government policy changes and that location being City Hall or Queen's Park. And and so if you need food and we serve about 12,000 per day, the 12,000 people would be inconvenienced and they'd have to come to two to Queen's Park to pick up their food. And we would do that every single day, every single day, until policy change happens. That's not like us. That's, you know, we're not that kind of an organization. But at some point we have to say enough is enough." — said Hetherington.
The lines from 2020 were a visual reminder of the impact of food insecurity in rich countries. Hetherington is suggesting another visual impact. Queen's Park is where the Ontario provincial government meets.
"But at some point we have to say enough is enough." Will that be enough for us to see what is happening with food insecurity? Should we do better before then?
photo credit: Neil Blake/Grand Rapids Press/AP
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