HungerCount 2023: How things look in Red Deer & Central Alberta
These aren’t records we want to set.
In 2022, Albertans experienced hunger. We led the nation as the province with the greatest proportion of people impacted by food insecurity. 22% of Albertans were deemed food insecure by independent reports published by Statistics Canada and Alberta Health Services. The rising costs of living have placed unprecedented pressure on Canadians.
Poverty research suggests that a greater number of Canadians are struggling to cover their basic costs of living. Just a few years ago, 19% of households were at risk. Recent research suggests that as much as 36% of Canadian households are now struggling to afford basic food and shelter.
the local impact.
In Red Deer, we feel the effects of housing shortages, inflationary food costs, elevated pump prices, and increasing utility costs. The food bank is 81% busier than it was in March of 2019. We see the toll on the mental and physical health of the people who access support. As we enter the cold months of the year, we must find ways to make housing attainable and food accessible. People should not have to choose between a warm bed and a full stomach.
In the face of unrelenting demand, we remain committed to providing consistent support and caring services. In the year ahead, we will need to continue our efforts to develop and secure funding to ensure we can support our community in a sustainable way.
Graphic from Red Deer Food Bank’s 2022-23 Fact Sheet. Households living above the official poverty line are now also experiencing high levels of food insecurity.
Inflation hurts.
Since the end of pandemic-related benefits, data shows a shocking growth in food bank use, which has now reached unthinkable levels. While the last two HungerCount reports should have been heard as blaring alarm bells for governments in our country, it appears that they were ignored.
In 2023, there were an unprecedented 1.9 million visits to food banks in March alone–an increase of 32 per cent compared to the previous year, and over 78 per cent compared to 2019.
In Alberta, the increase in food bank access since 2019 is a jaw-dropping 94%.
We will let the facts speak for themselves.
At the Annual General Meeting on October 25, the Board discussed the release of HungerCount 2023, and was presented with the enclosed 2022-23 Fact Sheet from the Red Deer Food Bank. We invite you to read through this material for yourself and, if it is at all within your means, please make a donation today.