There is a wide array of people helped by food banks, including children, seniors, single parents, working adults and people living with disabilities.
Children are over-represented in food bank use compared to the overall population. Single-parent households are also over-represented in food bank use compared to their share of the population. Single person households represent an alarming 45.1% of the households accessing food bank support. 59.0% of those who receive support from food banks indicate that social assistance or disability-related supports as their primary source of income.
This means that in Canada, 1 in 3 people who access food banks are children. This means over 300,000 children in Canada struggle to get enough food each month. This can have long term implications for children’s development, learning and growth.
Food Banks Canada aims to raise awareness of the important issue of child hunger in Canada. After the Bell is a multifaceted program that focuses on addressing the immediate needs of children experiencing hunger while building towards lifelong skills on nutrition literacy. We hope to grow and strengthen the next generation of leaders in food advocacy. Food Banks Canada aims to respond to child hunger across Canada through:
- Providing children with increased access to child-friendly, nutritious food through working with local food banks.
- Educating kids about healthy eating, kitchen skills and meal preparation
- Involving youth in the issue of hunger and inspiring them to take action
35% of children rely on food banks when they only represent 20% of the population. A lack of nutritious food can have major implications on a child's development.
Although the summer months are often associated with vacations and warm weather, they also create challenges for children who struggle with getting enough food. The summer months leave gaps in reliable food sources, as many food programs are not available.
After the Bell helps to address the immediate needs of children experiencing hunger. Food Banks Canada has set a goal to assemble and distribute 100,000 food packs across the country to children in select communities.
What We Need From You:
We are currently looking for forward-thinking corporate volunteers to help with our ambitious goal. If you and your colleagues would like to participate in an unforgettable team-building experience, please contact Karen Alebon at karen@foodbankscanada.ca.
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