Food banks across Canada were designed to be places for people to access food during an emergency. Now, it seems that food banks have become the backstop for more and more people as food insecurity reaches levels not seen in generations.
Betty Lou Souter, who has been involved with food banks for more than 40 years, has been on the frontlines of the rise in food insecurity that has created a perfect storm that is overwhelming food banks. If food banks are the canary in the coal mine, society is reaching a breaking point regarding income inequality and the abilities for people to put food on the table.
We live in a land of abundance, food insecurity shouldn't be a fixture in Canada but why are so many people accessing food banks to bridge the gaps?