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.25 c g ) . Food scarc1ty unacceptable . report l!) A national study released day stating that the number of Canadians reliant on food banks has risen 25 percent since 2008 mir. mrs‘hunger issues in Yuri Region. anti-poverty advocates said. W Too many Canadians are snug. giing just to put food on the table and food bank use continues to hover at record levels. according to iiungerCount 2013. a survey by Food Banks Canada involving input from more than 4.000 food programs. Each month. 80.0mm are forced to ask fat help from a bodbunkbrdcfimdme.~etfly Woldwnhelpedeachnmm mmwlthhmmonu- “MMWM In a typical month. Canadian bodbankshelpmomdmnmlw) people and nearly four in 10 of dwmchfldmdtemponmv Too many Canadians are strug- gling just to put food on the table and food bank use continues to hover at record levels. according to llungerCount 2013. a survey by Food Banks Canada involving input from more than 4.000 food Programs- In a typical month, Canadian tood banks help more than 833.0(1) people and nearly four in ll) of those the report stat- ed. Each month. 30,000 Canadians are forced to ask for help from a food bank for the first time. Nearly 40.!!!) of those helped each month are seniors with bonuses too men- ye to untied cw food. On in six households assisted by food bank: has employment income. yet still cant make ends meet. “Far too many people are lookâ€" ingintoanemptyfrldgeandwonâ€" The national findings reflect the local status quo. York Region Food Network executive director loan Stonehocker Statistics from eight reporting food banks in our nine municipalities parallel nation- al numbers. she said. Regrettably. with 41 per cent of our food bank clients being children. the region is above the survey statistics and over the 35 per cent provincial fig‘ ures. Between 20% and mm alone. regional food bank visits rose 20 per cent. last year more than 52.800 peo- ple were fed in York Region. There's been a one per cent increase in foodbankvisitsoverlastyear.hut there remains a disproportionate number of clients on social assis lance. she said. Disturbing too. is thefacHOpercent ofclient house- holds have at least one employed member. Ms Stonehocker agreed with Statistics from eight reporting foo parallel national numbers in Toad Ms Schmidt's contention that food scarcity is simply unaccept- able in a nation as prosperous as Canada, adding she is buoyed by llungerCount's recommendations that federal and provincial govern. ments make real investments in policies that will reduce the need daring how they're going [0 feed themselves and their kids." Food Banks Canada exéculive direc- tor Katharine Schmidl said. “The inability to obtain enough food. when it is abundant all amuhd us. is physically and psychologically Statisticsfiomeight reportmgfoodbanksinibrk’snimmlmidpdides parallel rational numbers in Tuaday’s Wt 2013 slum-y. Ms Schmidt's contention that for food banks a The national survey pluvides policy mcommcndations similar to those in the network‘s Food for Change - From Charity to Dignity 2013 report. HungerCoum 2013 recom mends increased access to afiud mm Ht! MTG it asks for more ‘robust inv'est- meat in education and training for Canadians at risk of failing in the job market. so that people can become self-sufficient through employment. The repon also sug- gests investment in local food sum dons in the North. to hdp North- em Canadians build the capacity to feedmemselvesandacallto revolu- tionize social assistance. so people can build selfisuffidency instead of five to. preventing future hunger. Ms Region'sdraflw-yearl'nmmg I . The report's recommended pobcy is where we need to go. “M’vegoltogowri‘verandsee Mutduepmbtemh'shesajdfm need to address the root issues. HungerCoum 2013 addresses this wmmmwmw‘ mmzammma mmmmmmw hmymwhenus‘IMH able housing so that Canadians are not forced to choose between pay- ing rem or buying food.