January 25, 2022
CBC News
Ontario
Malcolm Campbell
'Stressful cycle' of food insecurity leads to health problems, Ottawa study suggests
The author of a local study says food bank users faced worsening mental and physical health struggles due to food insecurity over an 18-month period, and society needs to change how we see food banks.
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Karen Secord, executive director of the Parkdale Food Centre, says government policy needs to ensure there is a much lower reliance on food banks. (Submitted by Meredith Kerr)
Rizvi said food banks were initially created in the 1980s as a stopgap measure to help struggling families during an economic downturn, but have since become consistently relied upon by people.
She says that needs to change and Karen Secord, executive director of the Parkdale Food Centre, says the social support system programs — like Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support program (ODSP) — need a thorough review to help limit this constant reliance on food banks.
"This whole food banking thing should be cut right down to minimal. So if somebody has an emergency, yes, but this is not an emergency," she said.