Hamilton Community News - Mountain News stocking Food Bank Shelves - May 27 2010

Council responds to crisis, re-stocks city food banks’ shelves

By Kevin Werner, News Staff
News

May 27, 2010

City politicians are once more responding to a social service crisis, delivering more money to Hamilton’s depleted food bank shelves.

The emergency and social services committee agreed last week to provide $350,000 in one-time funding to Hamilton Food Share. City officials gave the money to food banks, in the wake of the rising number of people who have to use them. Last year there was a 26 per cent increase in visits to all of the city’s food banks.

“It is definitely needed,” said Denise Arkell, executive director of Neighbour to Neighbour on Hamilton’s Mountain. “It will keep the food banks open. It’s a wonderful addition.”

She said Neighbour to Neighbour has seen a 16 per cent increase in visits, with people coming from across the Mountain to access its services.

“They need the funds,” said Ron Sharegan, chair of the Food Shelter and Housing Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from food bank organizations. “There are tens of thousands of people using them. It is unbelievable the number of people who need help.”

And the people who use food banks include seniors, students, low-income people, and children living in poverty, say social activists. For instance, at the Dundas Salvation Army Food Bank, in a community people don’t normally associate with poverty, has experienced a 44 per cent increase in visits, predominately by seniors.

There are about 40 per cent of children living in poverty in Hamilton, and about 75 per cent of the food bank visits are people on Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program, said Joanne Santucci, executive director of Hamilton Food Share.

It is unclear how the $350,000 will be distributed to the surrounding food banks. Brian Kreps, manager of homelessness, said a service agreement between the city and Hamilton Food Share will be crafted to oversee the funding.

The city last fall provided Hamilton Food Share and its member agencies $100,000 to boost the Christmas Hamper Program. Neighbour to Neighbour received about $8,000 from the funding, said Arkell, after making the necessary application.

But the city’s one-time grant has raised questions about how the funding will be distributed. She is unclear as to how much money her organization will receive from the latest city cash.
A year ago the city also provided food banks with about $186,400 during the busy summer months to alleviate another financial crisis to help pay for staffing and food purchases.
City staff are hoping these stopgap funding measures will slow down once a food bank study is completed this fall.

Recommendations for councillors to consider are expected to be contained in No One Goes Hungry: Strategic Directions for Hamilton’s Emergency Food System Plan 2010-2012.
The recommendations, say city staff, are expected to be referred to the 2011 budget.