Child Hunger: A Crisis We Can’t Ignore

Posted 3 days ago by The Stop

Child Hunger: A Crisis We Can’t Ignore

September was Hunger Action Month, a reminder that food insecurity isn’t just numbers on a page, it’s children in our own city going to bed hungry. You may have heard the harsh statistics by now: in Toronto, 1 in 10 people rely on food banks every month. But did you also know that nearly a quarter of individuals who depend on food banks are kids? At The Stop, 24% of the over 5,700 community members we served in our food bank last year were children.

 

A young boy in a garden picking flowers

 

As a mother of two teenage girls who never have to wonder where their next meal will come from, this reality makes my heart shrink. How can children learn, grow, or dream when they don’t have enough to eat?

Child hunger leaves deep marks. Research shows it impairs learning, increases the risk of chronic illness, and traps children in cycles of poverty. Families aren’t going hungry because of poor choices, they’re squeezed by an affordability crisis. In Toronto, over 1 in 5 food bank clients spend their entire income on housing, leaving nothing for food.

At The Stop, we’re working to change this. From our choice-based food bank to serving thousands of healthy meals every week, to programs like Healthy Beginnings that support new moms and their babies, we’re making sure children have a better chance to thrive.

But we can’t do it alone. As Hunger Action Month ends, will you join us in the fight to end childhood hunger? Here’s how you can help:

    1. Learn & Share: Explore reports like Daily Bread’s  Who’s Hungry Report and Food Banks Canada’s Poverty Report Card to understand the issue, and talk about it with your peers.
    2. Give Monthly: Join our monthly donor program so families can count on healthy meals all year long.
    3. Advocate: Write a letter to your local MP to demand solutions to the affordability crisis and ensure every child has the food they deserve.

Childhood should be about curiosity, growth, and play, not hunger. Together, we can make sure that’s the reality for every child in our community.

 

              Written by Veronica Montero, Director of Development and Communications

 

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