Food Bank of York Region gives a reason for thanks

While families across York Region celebrate Thanksgiving this year, many low-income families and households struggle to put sufficient nutritious food on the table.

Food insecurity has risen to heightened levels over the past five years in Ontario and in York Region as more households struggle to just make ends meet. This has resulted in an alarming 57 percent increase in food bank usage in the region since 2020.

York Region continues to mirror food insecurity levels across Ontario. As a result, demand for food assistance has grown significantly, and the Food Bank of York Region (FBYR) has expanded its services since 2020 to serve 76% more households in our region.

FBYR serves as the region’s food distribution hub for a network of 70+ food banks, food pantries and schools, and is appealing to the community to join their efforts to provide food relief for people in need.

“Many people in our region are facing difficult financial challenges, which often results in food insecurity,” said Alex Bilotta, FBYR CEO. “When people have to choose between paying rent and food, they often have to compromise on food quality or skip meals. Hunger hurts people from many walks of life, especially children, who represent 30 percent of people served by food banks.”

To date, FBYR has purchased and delivered over 700 turkeys to ensure that families in the region can celebrate Thanksgiving.

Join the fight against food insecurity today. For information on how to make a donation, launch a food drive or fundraiser, or to coordinate a corporate volunteer day, visit www.fbyr.ca.

Photo: FBYR volunteer team collecting donations. (Food Bank of York Region photo)