A sharp increase in child hunger is being reported in a survey of food-bank users, suggesting that existence has grown markedly more difficult for the very poor.
One in three children whose families use food banks or school breakfast programs are missing meals at least once a week -- up from one in 10 children just five years ago, the survey conducted by two food banks has found.
Although the number of food recipients has changed little since the spring of 1995, the profile of those 120,000 monthly users (including more than 40,000 children) is one of deepening misery, according to the survey released yesterday. The Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest Food Bank interviewed 800 households who visit one of 170 agencies that dole out food in the Toronto area.
Families who use food banks have just $4.95 in their pockets each day after they pay their rent. That is down 33 per cent from the $7.40 a day they had in 1995 -- as much as 40 per cent in real dollars, since the food bank did not adjust the dollar amounts for inflation. (The survey used a median figure, meaning that half the families had more and half had less.)
Twenty-eight per cent of users need a food bank more than once a month, up from 5 per cent five years ago.
Nearly 50 per cent of adult users go hungry at least once a week, up from 30 per cent.
Food bank organizers blame two initiatives of the Ontario's Conservative government for the sharp drop in the after-rent income: the ending of rent control on vacant units and cuts to welfare payments.
"I think the welfare cuts have created incredible hardship for people -- hardship for people it was not intended to affect," said Sue Cox, executive director of the Daily Bread Food Bank.
"People like kids. People like folks with illness or disability."
The percentage of heads of households who reported that they have a disability or long-term illness rose to 40 per cent from 30 per cent since 1995.
Rent in Toronto has risen 11 to 12 per cent, adjusted for inflation, according to figures from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., while income among this group has stayed the same or dropped slightly, Ms. Cox said.
The one piece of good news in the survey is that young people 15 to 24 are relying less and less on charity food. They make up 6 per cent of users, down from 15 per cent five years ago.
Ms. Cox credited improved job prospects for young people for this change.
However, the flip side is growing reliance by people 60 and older, who now make up 11 per cent of the recipients, up from 5 per cent. Ms. Cox said she believes that those between 60 and 65 who have disabilities are having a tougher time being approved for Canada Pension Plan or disability payments and are winding up on welfare.
The food-bank users are much more likely to be well-educated: 25 per cent of heads of households are graduates of university or college, up from 14 per cent. Ms. Cox said the increase probably reflects the educational backgrounds of immigrants who use food banks.
Jack Layton, a Toronto city councillor, said the survey shows that "although we don't want to believe it, our society is polarizing."
FOOD-BANK USERS: A CHANGING PROFILE
A survey of 800 households that regularly visit one of the 170 agencies that dole out food in the Toronto area.
Spring Spring
1995 2000
Number of people using food 115,000 120,000
relief programs in the
Greater Toronto Area
Median after-rent $7.40 $4.95
income per day
Sean Fine