In our region, putting food on the table is harder than ever.
Every day across North East Ontario, families are skipping meals, seniors are rationing what little they have, and children are heading to school without breakfast. Food insecurity—defined as inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints—affects over 1 in 5 Canadians. In the North, that number is often higher due to our rural and remote geography, limited food infrastructure, and higher cost of living.
Nearly 9 million people in Canada lived in food-insecure households in 2022. Alarmingly, that includes 2.1 million children. And yet, food banks and community kitchens—while essential—are not long-term solutions. Hunger isn’t caused by a lack of food. It’s caused by poverty.
Local Challenges, Urgent Needs
At United Way Centraide North East Ontario/Nord-est de l’Ontario, we see the ripple effects of food insecurity every day. In Sudbury, Timmins, North Bay, Espanola, and beyond, individuals face impossible choices: food or rent? Medication or groceries?
Rural communities often lack access to affordable grocery stores, while high fuel and shipping costs drive up prices in the North. Indigenous communities, meanwhile, face unique challenges linked to the erosion of traditional food systems due to colonial policies and climate change.
Food insecurity affects:
- Children and youth, impacting their physical and emotional development.
- Lone-parent and low-income families, who are most at risk.
- Older adults and people with disabilities, many living on fixed incomes.
- Those living in remote and northern communities, where food is expensive and less accessible.
What United Way is Doing
United Way is working with local partners to deliver food hampers, run community gardens, supply school-aged children with healthy snacks, and offer gift cards to grocery stores. We also support community kitchens and 2-1-1 navigation services to help people find what they need.
But most importantly, we’re working to address the root causes—by advocating for stronger income supports, housing affordability, and policy change.
Food banks are stretched beyond capacity. It’s time to move beyond emergency relief and toward sustainable, dignity-based solutions.
How You Can Help
You can be part of the solution. When you give to United Way Centraide North East Ontario, you’re not just feeding someone for a day—you’re helping build long-term food security across our communities.
Together, we can make sure no one has to go hungry.