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INSPIRING CHANGE

The right policy can inspire real change to alleviate poverty

Food Banks Canada plays an active part in not only relieving the immediate need for food today, but also affecting change to eliminate hunger tomorrow. Our policy and advocacy work with various levels of government is one of the top ways we do this—and it all starts by addressing the root cause, poverty.

Over the years, we have been working hard to advance poverty-reducing government policy recommendations in the following areas: 

CHILD HUNGER

Through our research, we discovered children were increasingly over-represented in food banks. Bringing this information forward to the federal government, along with policy recommendations on how to address the issue, led to our successfully influencing the creation of the Canada Child Benefit in 2015. This benefit has since contributed to a reduction in severe food insecurity among children in Canada.1

1Source: https://proof.utoronto.ca/publication-money-speaks-reductions-in-severe-food-insecurity-follow-the-canada-child-benefit

CHILD HUNGER

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SINGLE SENIORS

Similarly over-represented in our data were single seniors. Our collaborative efforts to raise this issue—and propose solutions, helped lead to the introduction of an increase in the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for single seniors in 2016.

SINGLE SENIORS

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LOW-INCOME WORKERS

Our data also helped build the case for an expansion of the Working Income Tax Benefit (now the Canada Workers Benefit) to allow low-income workers to keep more of their income through employment, without losing other benefits.

LOW-INCOME WORKERS

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Our policy and advocacy work continues

Food Banks Canada continually develops and advocates for policies that reduce poverty, thereby decreasing food insecurity and overall food bank use. By creating and proposing sustainable and achievable policies over time, we continue to help build and push for a minimum level of support so that all Canadians can live outside of poverty.

Through this building block approach, we are ultimately bringing Canada closer to achieving a future where no one goes hungry.

READ OUR LATEST HUNGERCOUNT