CLC Faxpress/CALM

Use of food banks has increased in every region of Canada, according to a recently released survey done by the Canadian Association of Food Banks.

The most pronounced increase is in the Maritimes and British Columbia. In Vancouver, for example, use of food banks is up 29 per cent from last year. Survey results cover a total of 2,141 Canadian food banks.

Across Canada, use of food banks has risen by 5.4 per cent. The survey notes that 2.4 per cent of the population was helped by food bank hamper programs in 1998. Although children are 25 per cent of the total population, children account for 42 per cent of those assisted by food banks. Since 1989, the use of food banks has increased 118 per cent.

The Canadian Labour Congress cites high unemployment, a gutted unemployment insurance system, inadequate minimum wages, cuts to social assistance, lack of affordable housing and child care, the growth of part-time, temporary work, stagnating and declining real wages, and the lack of effective pay and employment equity programs as some of the causes of hunger and poverty.