Recent reports from the Ottawa Food Bank reveal that more than one in four households in Ottawa experience some level of food insecurity. Food bank visits have more than doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels, with nearly 589,000 visits reported through Ottawa's food assistance network in a single year.

These figures represent a dramatic shift in the economic reality facing residents throughout Ottawa, Kanata, Orleans, Barrhaven, Nepean, Gloucester, Stittsville, and surrounding rural communities.

The growing demand has become so severe that food assistance programs have been forced to reduce the amount of food distributed due to increasing costs and limited resources. Community food banks are now facing their own supply challenges while trying to serve a rapidly expanding client base.

Since 2019, foodbank usage has more than tripled in Lanark County. 

According to Lanark County Food Bank manager Tammy Parent, in 2019 it cost the food bank $5,000 a month to feed 500 individuals and now it costs $40,000 a month to feed 1800 individuals. 38% of those individuals are children. The foodbank operates solely on community donations and support, and with increased costs of living affecting Lanark County, it is more important than ever to give back and support individuals in our community who are struggling to thrive.