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.

 

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

 

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. 

 

What can be done to 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 actions we can take:

Local Employers

•       Promote and/or support free income tax clinics for those living in low-income households.
•       Adopt living wage policies to ensure employees can afford basic necessities.
•       Provide health benefits, paid sick leave, and childcare support to employees.
•       Participate in campaigns advocating for higher minimum wages to support workers' ability to meet living costs.
•       Offer flexible service hours so individuals don’t have to take time off work to attend appointments.
•       Collaborate with community programs that address the root causes of HFI, supporting systemic solutions.   

 

Municipality

•         Continue to implement the Timiskaming District Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan to address poverty through strategies like BIG, living wages, and affordable transportation
•         Shift to responses that are income-based rather than food-based, helping with basic needs in a way that enhances choice and dignity.
•         Implement living wages aligned with the cost of living in northern Ontario to address regional disparities.
•         Advocate to increase social assistance rates to reflect the cost of living and for Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) initiatives.
•         Invest in affordable housing and childcare to reduce economic pressures on low-income families.
•         Use tools like the Nutritious Food Basket to inform local policies and raise awareness about food insecurity.

 

Provincial Government

•         Legislate targets to reduce food insecurity as part of the Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy.
•         Increase social assistance rates to reflect the cost of living and index Ontario Works rates to inflation.
•         Set a minimum wage that aligns with Ontario’s living costs and supports employment stability.
•         Investigate the creation of a guaranteed living wage (basic income) in Ontario.

Federal Government

•         Implement income-based policies, such as increasing tax credits for low-income households or lowering tax rates for the lowest-income households.
•         Expand the Canada Child Benefit and consider implementing a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) for individuals aged 18-64 years.

 

Schools

•         Consider dignity, equity, and inclusion for activities and programs. Assess whether activities may unintentionally make students experiencing food insecurity feel excluded or judged.
•         Support families experiencing food insecurity with access to income-based supports through referral to free tax clinics and local community supports whenever possible, or advocate for such programs if they do not exist.

a.      Example: Set up tables with information about program and services available at school events such as parent teacher interview or sharing information in the school newsletter.

 

 

Community Groups/Food Charities

•         Engage in advocacy to support initiatives that provide income-based solutions rather than relying solely on temporary relief.
•         Collaborate with community partners from various sectors, especially racialized communities, to address HFI and systemic oppression.
•         Strengthen relationships with local Indigenous communities to better understand their needs regarding food security and sovereignty, and support Indigenous-led food initiatives.
•         Partner with others in the community to connect clients to income-based programs and services that help households access eligible income benefits and supports.
•         Consider ways to make food programs more accessible and inclusive by reducing barriers.

a.      Examples: extending service hours, providing alternative pick-up locations, offering delivery services, creating less intrusive screening process for eligibility by asking less information to prove eligibility to reduce stigma or burden on the clients.

 

Media

     • Raise awareness about the prevalence, root causes, and impact of HFI, as well as effective interventions to build public understanding and support.

 

Healthcare Providers

•      Support Indigenous cultural safety training for staff to increase awareness, promote self-reflection, and foster continuous learning on cultural competence in food security.

•     Reduce stigma by openly acknowledging that household food insecurity and financial strain can affect health and well-being and normalize conversations about financial strain by asking questions like whether someone has difficulty making ends meet at the end of the month. This can help clients feel validated and normalize the conversation about financial strain, leading to better referrals to appropriate resources.

•     Assess for financial strain during one-on-one interactions to better understand clients’ circumstances.

•  Understand that asking about financial strain is not about solving food insecurity or financial problems but about understanding how a household's financial situation impacts their health and living situation. This helps providers create realistic care plans.

 

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