About Us

Food Banks Canada is the only national charitable organization representing and supporting the food bank community across Canada. Learn more about us — how we’re organized, our membership, and our programs.

Learn About Hunger

Close to 900,000 Canadians each month are assisted by food banks. By understanding the nature of the problem, and the possible solutions, we can all do our part to make a difference.

Get Involved

Together, we can make a difference to help reduce hunger and improve the lives of the nearly 900,000 Canadians who turn to food banks each month. Learn how you or your company can contribute.

Media

The latest news about Food Banks Canada, our partners, and our programs, as well as helpful resources for our communications partners and members of the media.

Hunger Fact

Half of food banks in Canada saw an increase in demand in 2011.

More Facts

Community Spotlight

The New Brunswick Association of Food Banks Inc

Grand Falls, New Brunswick

The New Brunswick Association of Food Banks Inc. is a nonprofit, charitable organization whose membership is comprised of food banks and soup kitchens throughout the province of New Brunswick.

The Association coordinates the distribution of large donations coming from Food Banks Canada's National Food Sharing System; works with NB food banks, community kitchens, corporations and the government to help solve the province's hunger problem and engages in public education and advocates for public policy change in order to reach the root causes of hunger in New Brunswick and Canada.


Learn About Hunger > About Hunger in Canada

About hunger in Canada

Many people do not realize the extent of hunger’s reach in this country. Each month, close to 900,000 Canadians are assisted by food banks, and 38% of those helped are children and youth.

The problem of hunger is a persistent one, with food banks providing comparable levels of food and other assistance for the better part of a decade.

Who is turning to food banks? There is no single, typical profile. The people helped include families with children, employed people whose wages are not sufficient to cover basic living essentials, individuals on social assistance, and Canadians living on a fixed income, including people with disabilities and seniors.

Consider these figures from HungerCount 2011:

  • 93,000 people each month access a food bank for the first time
  • 38% of those turning to food banks are children and youth
  • 7% of adults helped are over age 65
  • 10% of people assisted are Aboriginal
  • 52% of households helped receive social assistance
  • 18% have income from current or recent employment
  • 13% receive disability-related income supports
  • 35% of food banks ran out of food during the survey period
  • 55% of food banks needed to cut back on the amount of food provided to each household