One-in-three Canadians is tapping into savings or borrowing to buy food. Those are the latest findings in the Canadian Food Sentiment Index report by Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab. Of those surveyed, food affordability remains the top concern, but transportation is adding to household financial strain. However, when it comes to eating out at restaurants or take-out, the numbers tell a different story with Millennials leading the way with spending the most money.
Also, donate to things like the Salvation Army emergency food fund. Why? Because if you lose your job tomorrow and have debt but minimal savings, guess what? You can’t just walk into a food bank and walk out with dinner. You walk in, fill out the paperwork, and then wait until it is processed and the next distribution day arrives.
So if you need food TODAY, call 211. They’ll find your local emergency food service, who likely is funded almost completely by donations, unlike food banks that have some government support (through the CFB).