Imagine pawning your deceased mother’s wedding ring to pay bills, taking out loans to feed your children, or contemplating putting a lock on the refrigerator to make groceries last as long as possible. “That’s what being poor is,” says Nicole, mother of eight. “And it doesn’t feel good.” Nicole is one of 850,000 Canadians assisted  […]

The Salvation Army in Cedarbrae offers its food bank users hands-on cooking classes where participants create delicious meals using items from the food bank and learn about nutrition.

In direct response to clients’ feedback about what their needs were, The Salvation Army’s food bank in Penticton, B.C. has produced a series of five cookbooks. “The cookbooks are aimed at providing people with a variety of simple recipes for goods commonly received at food banks,” says Barb Stewart, food bank coordinator. The project has  […]

“At the food bank, the greatest thing we can give people is choice,” says Elliott Innes, Salvation Army community and family services manager in Fort Erie, Ont. “That’s why we don’t make pre-made hampers. We let people choose what their needs are.” One in five Canadians skip meals to make ends meet and food banks  […]

At The Salvation Army’s Cedarbrae food bank, clients select the food they want, similar to shopping at a grocery store. This encourages self-esteem and reduces the stress and humiliation of asking for food.

Barbara, 33, doesn’t want to be a statistic. However, she is one of 850,000 Canadians assisted by food banks each month. This Thanksgiving, when we consider our many privileges and opportunities, let’s take a minute to think about the hundreds of thousands of Canadian families who struggle to put food on the table. “Sometimes my  […]

Each month 850,000 Canadians access food banks and the numbers continue to increase. Hunger in Canada is a serious issue, but there are things we can do about it. 1.      Change what you know about hunger. You could start by clicking here. http://www.foodbankscanada.ca/Learn-About-Hunger/About-Hunger-in-Canada.aspx 2.      Meet your local food bank director and get to know how  […]

After spending years raising her family and then taking care of her aging father, Kim suddenly found herself alone and struggling. With the help of The Salvation Army she’s coping and feeling her life is back on track.

Dianne’s daughter went through a period when she needed to use a food bank, making Dianne realize just how important these programs are. Now Dianne volunteers at The Salvation Army’s Dunnville Food Bank, where she sees demand for the service increasing.

In a country of relative wealth, one in eight Canadian families struggle to get enough food. According to HungerCount 2013 food bank use is higher than it was before the recession began five years ago. The causes of food insecurity are well-known—low wages, unemployment, family breakup, layoffs and unaffordable housing, to name a few. In  […]