One-in-seven Canadians live in food insecure households. In March 2022 alone, there were almost 1.5 million visits to food banks across Canada – up 35% compared to pre-pandemic visits. [i] Household food insecurity refers to when a household has inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints. While this is a Canadian wide problem, our community is not an exception. In Ontario there was a 43% change in total visits between 2021 and 2022.
The holidays are a time of joyful giving; however, for some families, they are more concerned with having enough money for weekly groceries, let alone the gift their child has asked for. It’s important that we come together as a community to support local food programs so that together we can provide some relief for food insecure families in [location] this holiday season.
To help alleviate the strain, Terry’s Your Independent Grocer will be supporting the Gravenhurst Food Bank to help with the increased demand around the holiday season. From December 2 – 24, donate to the food bank while you shop at Terry’s Your Independent Grocer.
There are two ways community members can support their local food bank; you can donate funds or food. While food donations are always welcome, food banks also need cash donations in order to keep things running with critical infrastructure and to fill in the gap when supply is low. Some food donations Food Banks are always looking for include:
- Grains: cereal, rice, pasta, oats, granola bars,
- Proteins: canned fish, beans, peanut butter
- Fruit and vegetables: canned fruits and vegetables,
- Special diet foods: low sugar, gluten free, dairy free, halal, kosher, vegan, vegetarian
- Pantry staples: soup, pasta, vegetable oil
- Household and hygiene: toilet paper, cleaning products, toothpaste, deodorant, sanitary products
Next time you visit your local grocery store, think about giving the gift of food and pick up some extra items to add to the donation bins at the front of our stores. You can also donate money at the cash register at your local Your Independent Grocer.