Help Provide Healthy Food to our Neighbours in Need

This winter, we are once again launching our Giving Tuesday Special Appeal to address food insecurity in our regions. Reports across Canada show that food insecurity continues to grow, becoming a more “normal” experience for families.

In the recently released HungerCount 2025 report from FoodBanks Canada, the report shows that monthly visits to food banks have doubled since 2019 and continue to grow. In March of 2025, over 2.2 million people visited a food bank across Canada. According to the Feed Ontario Impact report, 43% of the over one million visitors had never before accessed a food bank.

Food banks are now seeing increased use by people who are forced to choose to pay for a roof over their head or groceries, with 1 in 5 people being employed, and 1 in 4 households are two-parent families (HungerCount). According to the Citizens for Public Justice Poverty report, 26% of Ontarians are facing food insecurity, indicating that these numbers do not just include what is currently considered low-income families.

As the demand grows larger, food banks at this time are worried about having enough food to meet the needs of their visitors. Donations to food banks are no longer enough to keep up with demands, and food banks are struggling to purchase enough food to feed their clients.

Churches throughout our diocese have been responding to this growing need by hosting and stocking community fridges, running food banks and community meal programs, cultivating community gardens, and delivering prepared meal boxes to those most in need in our communities.

"We’re called to life and compelled to love through our many ministries," says Bishop Susan Bell. "This is why we see so many of our parishes responding to the increasing local food insecurity concerns, striving to uphold the dignity of every human being by enhancing community access to food, care, and support.

Year-over-year increases in grocery prices of 10 percent or more are forcing individuals and families to turn to help for the first time, overwhelming an already stretched social safety net. Those already struggling are being pushed even further into poverty, and we know that food insecurity disproportionally impacts those who are already vulnerable to other risk factors.

Our churches need your help. Due to rising grocery costs, the need is greater than ever, and it is more expensive for churches to provide nutritious and healthy food to our neighbours in need.

All funds will go directly to our parishes, missions, and affiliated food security agencies to help meet the overwhelming need for support we are seeing across the diocese.

Food is not just about nutrition; it is also about ensuring the dignity of every human being. It is also a significant way to bring togetherness and to celebrate community. Our parishes are providing essential services to help people survive and thrive in body, mind, and spirit. Will you help them?