On Friday, December 10, 2021, 16 MPPs representing multiple parties and ridings across Ontario came to Daily Bread to help sort food for distribution to community members throughout the holiday season and to learn more about the root causes of food insecurity. 

There were over 3.6 million visits to food banks across Ontario last year, with close to 1.45 million visits in the city of Toronto alone. In November, a new record was set at Daily Bread member food banks, with 126,000 food bank visits in a single month due to the ripple effects of unemployment and underemployment, increasing cost of living, and the high price of housing. 

Food insecurity is a symptom of poverty. With food bank use at an all-time high, it is critical that all political parties take strong action to address the systemic drivers of food insecurity that we have outlined in our Who’s Hungry report: precarious work, unaffordable housing, and an insufficient social safety net.  

At the event, each MPP was presented with a copy of Daily Bread’s petition, which contains 27,407 signatures calling for Ontario to commit to a 50% reduction in poverty by 2030. The outpouring of signatures we received on this petition is a clear indication that Ontarians are determined to see poverty reduction as a top issue on the political agenda.  

We are deeply grateful for the support of Ontario’s MPPs, and we look forward to continuing these important conversations as we advance policy change. 

Your voice matters! Click here to send a letter directly to Ontario’s party leaders calling for stronger poverty reduction targets.  

Scroll through our photo gallery from the event here!