As the cost of living continues its meteoric rise, more households struggle to make ends meet. And, those households increasingly include working families as well as single folks. For over 30 years Food for Life, a registered, non-profit charity, has been rescuing and redistributing surplus food to communities throughout Halton and Hamilton.
Since 1995, Food for Life has rescued over 35 million pounds of food valued at more than $113 million from local farms, grocery stores and businesses. They supported 5,000 households a week (2025) through nearly 100 low-barrier programs including market-style distributions, fresh food fridges and lockers as well as seniors’ pop-ups that are grounded in dignity, accessibility and connection.
“Food is about so much more than nourishment,” Karen Randell, Executive Director of Food for Life, told rabble.ca via email. “It’s about dignity, choice, and knowing that you matter. When neighbours have access to fresh, healthy food in a welcoming, respectful environment, it eases stress, protects health, and helps people feel connected to their community.”
To ensure connectivity, Food for Life conducts annual Neighbour Impact Surveys. The 2025 survey provided valuable information that will help staff improve services during 2026.
The breakdown of racial identity of people accessing Food for Life programs was 67 per cent identify as white; six per cent identify as a person of colour; five per cent identify as Black and three per cent identify as Indigenous. English was the preferred language for 85 per cent of respondents with Arabic, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian making up additional languages.
Financial pressure on vulnerable communities grows
While rental housing continues to be increasingly commodified across the province, the government of Ontario premier Doug Ford has removed the last vestiges of rent controls making it impossible for many individuals and families to find accommodations that cost 30 per cent of their gross income.
A small one-bedroom condo or apartment in Halton rents for $2,000 plus utilities. That requires a gross monthly income of $6,667. Based on a 35-hour work week, someone earning a living wage of $27.20 per hour has a gross income of $3,808 per month. Minimum wage earners making $17.60 per hour are looking at $2,464 gross per month. That makes the cost of rental housing the single greatest driving force behind the increase in folks accessing food supports for the first time.
A breakdown of respondents’ incomes reveals deeply inadequate incomes:
- 28 per cent rely on Canada Pension Plan (CPP) that averages $803.76/month
- 24 per cent rely on Old Age Security (OAS) ranging from $667.41 to $1,108.74
- 16 per cent rely on Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) payments of $1,400 per month
- 16 per cent rely on Ontario Works that provides $733 per month
- 15 per cent rely on wages and salaries from full-time work
Fifty-two per cent of the folks who have been accessing Food for Life programs for a year or less are either employed or seeking opportunities. The fact that employment no longer protects folks against food insecurity is a marked change from the past and reflects the dearth of full-time positions paying a standard of living that lets folks thrive. Instead, employers increasingly rely on gig and part-time positions that are not only precarious, but pay unlivable wages, no benefits and offer little in terms of job advancement.
Wage theft also factors into increased food bank visits. Over the past decade far more than $200 million have been stolen from Ontario workers by employers. We know the actual dollar amount is much higher due to under reporting. Then there’s the high cost of childcare and transportation to factor into this equation.
“I read and review every survey response we receive, and what stays with me most is the mix of strain and hope,” Dianna Williams, Manager of Research at Food for Life told rabble.ca via email.
“Neighbours are doing everything they can to get by under the weight of rising costs, and access to fresh food offers real relief — not just for today, but for their health and wellbeing over time. Everyone in our community deserves access to food that is suitable for them and helps them stay healthy. Caring for the health of our community is a collective responsibility we all share,” she added.
The positive impacts of access to healthy food
Food for Life tracks the benefits of a healthy diet and found 91 per cent of neighbours reported positive impacts to their overall health; 56 per cent said their diets improved; 22 per cent reported improvements in both physical and mental health; while 48 per cent experienced reduced stress.
These outcomes align with findings from PROOF Food Insecurity Policy Research that showed improved food security reduces emergency healthcare use and chronic disease risk while contributing to stronger long-term health outcomes and overall wellbeing.
Food for Life programs fill crucial gap
In 2025, Food for Life programs contributed to $166,715 in local healthcare savings based on the households who responded and experienced improvements to their food insecurity status since accessing these programs.
Survey results also show that Food for Life programs play a critical role in easing financial strain. Neighbours reported saving an average of $74 per week on groceries or nearly $300 per month. That money was redirected to pay rent, utilities, medications and other essentials. It also helped neighbours avoid borrowing money from high interest payday loan lenders charging upwards of 365 per cent interest to make ends meet.
Seventy-seven per cent of respondents reported having less than $200 left for food after paying essential bills. “Without this, I would not have any food. I don’t even have enough money for rent and utilities. I’m financially in deep trouble, but I at least have food.” – Food for Life Neighbour.
Neighbours who access Food for Life’s programs not only report living healthier lives, they also say they’re less isolated. One in four neighbours said accessing programs helped them connect with others in their community with over 20 per cent reporting increased trust and social interaction with local service providers.
The 11 weekly pop-up markets in subsidized housing communities across Halton serve about 500 seniors each week offering good food and much needed human interactions that help seniors stay healthy.
And, it’s important to acknowledge about 40 per cent of those experiencing food insecurity in Halton region are children whose physical and cognitive growth will be affected by undernourishment as well as malnourishment. Their emotional growth can also be impacted when it becomes obvious to teachers and classmates that they don’t have a lunch or snacks every day.
Key to fulfilling its mandate of feeding people is the low-barrier, no proof of poverty approach that allows neighbours to access programs as soon as they begin experiencing food insecurity. Research has overwhelmingly proven that effective intervention at this stage improves outcomes by helping households experiencing marginal food insecurity from progressing to moderate and eventually severe food security that leads to skipping meals, malnutrition and long-term health consequences.
Listening to neighbours and learning from their lived experience is central to how Food for Life designs and delivers programs. Neighbour feedback directly informs how food is sourced, how programs operate, and how services evolve to reflect the needs and cultures of the communities served.
“At Food for Life we recognize that true food security goes far beyond the redistribution of food – it means having reliable access to all the food you want and need for a healthy and active life without having to rely on coping strategies like accessing food programs. That means addressing the social determinants of health through policy change – ensuring a minimum income floor, affordable housing, accessible childcare, universal healthcare, healthy environments to live and play, and supports that enable everyone in our communities to thrive. We also support approaches to food sovereignty that affirm Indigenous Peoples’ rights to procure food in culturally meaningful and ecologically sound ways – because food security must also honour self-determination and culture,” stated Williams.
A volunteer supported initiative
In terms of volunteers who are also neighbours accessing food, Williams explained that Food for Life intentionally manages their volunteer network and neighbours in completely separate systems. They don’t track whether someone who volunteers also accesses their programs.
“We’ve made this choice on purpose, as we never want anyone to feel that they need to give their time in order to receive food – especially knowing that not everyone has the capacity to volunteer for various reasons. That said, anecdotally, we do know that many volunteers are deeply connected to the issue of food insecurity – through lived experience, family, friends, or their broader community. Volunteering often becomes a meaningful way for people to give back, feel connected, and support one another, reflecting the strong sense of mutual care and community that underpins our work,” said Williams.
As an added benefit, Food for Life provides essential environmental services by operating the region’s largest food rescue hub sourcing fresh produce, meat and plant-based proteins, dairy, baked goods and non-perishable produce. Over the past 30 years, Food for Life has redistributed 35 million pounds of good food, valued at $113 million. They effectively prevented the equivalent of 50 million kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere.
