Report shows the number of people without enough to eat is more than we realize
The numbers do not look good in Niagara when it comes to how many people don't have enough to eat.
A Brock University Political Science professor, Joanne Heritz, says it's worse than most of us realize because some programs that help people have been overlooked when collecting data.
From 2022 to 2024, food bank usage increased 154% in Pelham and 148% in both Niagara on the Lake, and St. Catharines-Thorold.
The professor says many organizations trying to help are doing work in isolation, making it difficult to track the need.
She's written a policy brief that shows 19 organizations offering food programs in the Niagara region, delivering more than 358,000 meals last year.
Solutions include raising minimum wage and social security rates, and better monitoring of food programs.
The professor points out the goal of her report is to highlight awareness of the problem, and get more financial resources and affordable housing for people facing hunger.
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