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Food Insecurity in Timiskaming

Food insecurity happens when a person does not have enough money to feed themselves and their family. The typical strategies used to solve this problem focus on food charity and community support (e.g., food banks). However, these only give temporary relief to families living with food insecurity. We need solutions that focus on the main cause of the problem: poverty.

 

Check the infographic below to learn more about food insecurity in Timiskaming, including the cost of food, and why this is an important problem to solve. 
Infographic: Cost of eating healthy in Timiskaming 

Click here for more information on the Nutritious Food Basket survey and cost of food in Timiskaming.

How can you help?

Being poverty the main cause of food insecurity, the best solutions focus on increasing people’s income. Some examples:

  • A basic income for everyone (more info here)
  • Social assistance rates that match the real cost of living
  • More good jobs with realistic wages and added benefits

In Timiskaming, 15% of our families live with low-income. We need to advocate for these income-based strategies, to ensure that everyone has enough money to pay for their expenses and is able to be part of our communities. 

 

There are 3 main things you can do:

 Be Informed

Use Your Voice

Tell Others

Learn more about food insecurity, why it is a problem, and why income-based strategies are so important. See the links at the end of the page.Ask those who have the power to change this reality! Reach out to your member of the provincial parliament (MPP) and federal parliament (MP) and advocate for income-based solutions. See more info below.Share your knowledge about the problem with your colleagues, family and friends, and ask them to advocate for income-based solutions as well.
 

To advocate for income-based solutions at the federal level, go to https://www.odph.ca/what-can-you-do and submit the open letter prepared by the Ontario Public Health Dietitians on your behalf. The letter will reach the leaders of the main 4 federal political parties.

“No money for food is… Cent$less” campaign

 

 

The “No Money for Food is…Cent$less” campaign (started in May 2018) aims to increase awareness of food insecurity in Timiskaming and help advocate for income-based solutions so everyone is able to put food on the table.


Visit the campaign website at https://www.odph.ca/centsless to learn more or check the campaign videos on YouTube.
*Cent$less Campaign adapted with permission of Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.

 

For more information on food insecurity visit:

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