On May 23rd, Food Banks Canada and its network of food banks have asked elected representatives from all levels of government to raise awareness and open discussions with their elected colleagues about hunger in their communities.

Every day, food banks across the country work to raise the food and funds needed to assist the 860,000 people who access their services each month. We are asking elected representatives and their staff to engage in a different, yet equally important step towards reducing hunger in Canada.

Why are representatives participating in a range of activities on this day?
In a country as rich as Canada, it is easy to ignore that hunger exists in every community, in every province and territory.  While the Food Banks Canada HungerCount report clearly illustrates the scope of the problem with real numbers and data, it is easy to dismiss them as just that – numbers and data.

One of the awareness activities elected officials can undertake is to fast for the day to recognize what it’s like to have food out of reach on an average day. By personally experiencing what it’s like to be tired before an 11am meeting, or to feel light-headed shortly after the lunch hour because you couldn’t bring a lunch to work – the problem becomes real.

Other activities representatives can undertake include learning more about hunger in their community by connecting with their local food bank, visiting their local food bank and talking about the problem of hunger and the need for long-term solutions on their social media platforms.

Understanding the need for long-term solutions to hunger
Each and every month, 860,000 people in Canada – more than a third of them children – need help from a food bank just to make ends meet. 

By feeling and understanding this firsthand, elected officials from all levels of government, and of all stripes, can start the discussions necessary to develop long-term policy solutions that address the root causes of hunger, and finally create a Canada where people no longer need help from a food bank to make ends meet.