Discussions

I believe hunger is a big problem in our country (and its mostly hidden), I mean, Canadians are not really aware of the numbers of people, men, women and children that go to bed hungry each night.  
Sure we have food banks across the country but the food bank users cannot depend on food banks on a daily basis. Under normal circumstances, there are limits as to the number of visits one family can make to the food bank. I believe in Brandon your only allowed access once a week and they provide enough food for 3-4 days. Food bank recipients are still hungry. Most food banks also, are simply unable to meet the demand for food placed on them by hungry people/families.  
I know Brandon has programs in place for their homeless problem, but separating homelessness and hunger, we're faced with two kinds of problems. Because some people who are just hungry are not homeless. There are certain groups of people who will face food shortage at some point in their lives.  
People receiving welfare assistance as their primary source of income make up the largest group of food bank users. This tells me that the welfare rates are not adequate enough for these people to live on.  
The working poor, people who don't earn enough to carry them through until their next pay cheque. Either because of social problems in their home or their debts are just too overwhelming. Low-wages contribute to the problem, even for people working full time jobs, they are just not able to meet their basic needs for themselves and their families.  
Disabled people do not receive enough social assistance to support themselves adequately and find themselves clients of the food banks.  
A sad reality is seniors using the food banks and they are on the increase.  
Single mothers and children make up the largest group using food banks. I believe that child poverty is related to the household income.  
In Brandon alone I believe the hungry to be a large majority despite the local food bank and soup kitchen. Another question I would pose is, how safe is the food distributed from the food bank? Does it pass the food safety issue?  
Another initiative ongoing is the community garden. You could ask to plant a garden at one of the local areas and the food generated is yours to use. But as usual there's always a problem, kids raiding, not enough time to devote to care, etc..But it is a great idea for families who live in apartments and have found themselves using the food bank.  
But alas, food banks are but a band-aide solution. I know that we let the Government off the hook when communities start there own programs for the people who are hungry and I wonder if that's such a good idea. It's up to the governments to create jobs so that people will not need welfare, as yet, there are not enough jobs to meet the needs of the unemployed. I just brushed the surface as to the Governments responsibility to the people in regard to combating the growing hunger problem.  
The problems faced by the hungry, are " public problems ", and this issue is by and large, why we elected our Government. When the people of a community start running solutions to meet the demand for their hungry populace, we are allowing the Government to ignore their responsibility. The truth is, Canada does not have a hunger problem -there is plenty of food in this country.  
We need the Government to look at issues such as: rents (safe and affordable) housing, the welfare system, review the wage minimum wage system (to make sure that the hard-working can meet their basic living needs). Band-aide solutions will eventually just won't cut it!  
For our community, what is the solution? I for one don't like to see people go hungry while waiting on a Government to get off their ass and do something, I don't like reading in the Sun people thrown in jail just because they are hungry and have resorted to stealing food, I don't like seeing people stand on a corner and beg for handouts, it is a downright shame while we sit in our warm homes with a steak dinner in front of us and know in our hearts that there is a child out there who is going to bed hungry. Whats the solution, huh?