{"id":89098,"date":"2025-09-08T16:56:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T20:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/?p=89098"},"modified":"2025-12-17T17:09:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T22:09:38","slug":"food-insecurity-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/blog\/food-insecurity-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Food Insecurity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Getting enough to eat: A daily struggle for too many people and families<\/strong> <\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite the slowdown in inflation in 2025, food insecurity is still a major problem. As food aid requests reach record highs, community agencies are stepping up to respond to the emergency\u2014and create sustainable solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Beneath the Calm, the Storm of Price Increases Persists<\/strong> <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This year, food costs appear stable\u2026 but make no mistake. The significant increases of the past three years have left their mark: between 2021 and 2024, the grocery bill for a family of four rose by 33%, amounting to over $3,000 more per year<\/strong>\u00b9. For many households, eating healthy remains out of reach, as shown by the 517,000 monthly food assistance distributions in Greater Montreal, up 72% since 2022 (301,000)\u00b2. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind these statistics is the daily reality of not only children, workers, seniors, and single people but also community agencies that are ramping up their efforts to meet growing demand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udd0d What to Expect in 2026: $1,000 More for Groceries\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to projections, an average Canadian family of four could face spending nearly $1,000 more on food in 2026 compared to 2025.\u00b3<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Having a job is no longer enough<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A little over 40% of households requesting food aid rely on social assistance, but an increasing number of workers also have to turn to it: one in five households has employment income\u00b2. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Different profiles facing the same emergency<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Single-parent families, newcomers, single people, and young low-income workers are the varied types of people who knock on the doors of food assistance agencies. One striking fact: more than half of the households receiving aid in Greater Montreal (56%) are families with children, a higher proportion than in Quebec as a whole (48%)\u00b2. These figures reflect real challenges, often marked by painful choices: pay the rent or feed the children? Cover transportation costs or buy fruits and vegetables? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Living with food insecurity every day<\/strong> <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Food insecurity means skipping meals, reducing portions, and going without so your children can eat. It also means sending your children to school on an empty stomach, avoiding fresh produce because of the cost, and living with the constant dread of not having enough to eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Over three years, food assistance distributions in Greater Montreal have jumped 72%, from 301,288 in 2022 to 516,957 in 2025.<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What are the causes?<\/strong> <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many factors are behind this crisis: low incomes, social isolation, physical and mental health problems, lack of food knowledge, limited access to affordable grocery stores, as well as high housing costs that eat into food budgets.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Concrete, community-led solutions<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As food insecurity gains ground, community agencies continue to offer support and concrete solutions on the front line. Thanks to help from Centraide, they can tailor their innovative initiatives to neighbourhood realities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These actions include:<\/p>\n\n\n

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