It took Kathy a long time to finally accept help.
As a single parent, working full-time and raising two teenage boys, Kathy was used to telling herself, ‘I got this.’ But as her boys – and inflation – grew, so did her concern.
“I worried the boys, now age 14 and 15, weren’t getting the nourishment they needed to do well in school,” says Kathy. “They were growing, active boys, and often hungry.” Despite working full-time for a small demolition company, Kathy found that increases in basic expenses like food and rent intensified the pressure on her already stretched income.
After paying for rent and utilities, Daily Bread Food Bank clients have a median amount of just $6.67 per person per day to spend on food and all other necessities.
Still, Kathy didn’t reach out to the food bank. “I fought against going to a food bank for about two years, before I finally admitted that I needed that resource,” she says. “I thought, what if people in my neighbourhood see me? When I walked through the door, I was nervous…but as I stepped closer, the volunteers and everyone were so welcoming and supportive, I felt relief.”
The weight on Kathy’s shoulders had finally lessened – but others are still struggling. Sadly, 1 in 10 people in Toronto are relying on food banks to make ends meet, double the rate of last year. Additionally, Daily Bread now serves 13,000 new clients on average each month, six times more than before the pandemic.
This Thanksgiving, you can make a difference by helping families put nutritious food on the table. “Stuffing and cranberry sauce are two of our favourite things at Thanksgiving,” says Kathy. “I got those from the food bank, along with fresh produce, onions and potatoes.”
Kathy is grateful to the dedication of donors whose generosity has made a difference in her life. Thanks to that ongoing support, Daily Bread was able to distribute close to 38 million pounds of food in 2023-2024 to food programs across the city, a 36% increase over the prior year.
“Just know your support is helping nourish children, families, and communities,” says Kathy. “Thank you for helping when I didn’t want to accept help.”
Access to nutritious and healthy food is a right that everyone should be afforded.
If you would like to support the growing number of families who are facing hunger this Thanksgiving, please click here to donate today.
