Chapman, NDP call for emergency support as Kitchener food bank use skyrockets

KITCHENER – Debbie Chapman, Ontario NDP candidate for Kitchener Centre, joined the Ontario NDP’s call for emergency funding and a stronger social safety net, after Feed Ontario released alarming new data showing food bank up 38 per cent in Ontario, compared to 2022.

“Food bank use is skyrocketing this year, as even people with full time jobs struggle to keep up with the cost of living,” said Chapman. “It’s heartbreaking to see so many in the Kitchener community being forced to use food banks just to get by, especially when we have the solutions to make things better.”

In Kitchener-Waterloo, 1 in 10 households are struggling to afford to put food on the table, and in 2023, 4,629 households accessed a food assistance program for the first time.

“Food banks were supposed to be an emergency support - but emergencies are supposed to end. In Kitchener, things are just getting worse,” said MPP Catherine Fife (Waterloo) at Queen’s Park. “When will the Premier step in to support these emergency efforts to feed Ontario – and strengthen the social safety net to make sure everyone can afford to put food on the table?”

“We need short-term and long-term solutions to help the people of Kitchener weather this storm,” said Chapman. “That’s why I’m proud to join these calls for support, and excited to join this strong Official Opposition at Queen’s Park, to keep bringing these solutions forward.”