The Canadian Press/Cole Burston
More Nova Scotians will face food insecurity in 2024, according to the head of Feed Nova Scotia.
From January to May 2024, 169,000 Nova Scotians visited food banks, a 21 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
“We have about 1,700 people per day receiving food bank assistance, and HRM is leading other municipalities in the number of new clients joining the system,” explained Nick Jennaly, executive director of Feed Nova Scotia. “So the numbers are not good.”
Jennaly said there were 43,000 visits to food banks, an 11% increase, and more than 20% of people visiting food banks are in full-time employment.
Jennaly said rising food insecurity poses additional challenges to an already strained health care system.
“Usually unhealthy people are people who don't have access to food,” he says.
Jennaly says with federal, state and local elections approaching, there's an opportunity for change.
“This is a once-in-four-years opportunity to say, 'What's the plan?'” Jennaly said.
