Food insecurity, the uncertainty of the availability of food, is connected with poor health, chronic illness, depression, and a lack of emotional and practical support.
Since 2019, the number of food hampers distributed to Winnipeg households has doubled. The pandemic exacerbated the need as those who already struggle with low paying jobs, irregular work, unemployment, fixed incomes, and health issues face greater challenges.
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Source: Harvest Manitoba
Harvest Manitoba saw its client numbers go from 6,100 in 2019 to over 11,000 in 2022 – a 96% increase in three years. Many community-based organizations in the charitable sector provided food to clients for the first time ever, going beyond their mandates to ensure their community members had food. Significant inflation is now impacting food and fuel prices, which continues to make food inaccessible to those in need.