Providing food to those in need can be difficult at the best of times. With COVID-19, this task has become strenuous. Yet, Ottawa’s Food Banks continue to be leaders in our communities. They have remained resilient in providing food to those living with food insecurities. Since this pandemic, there has been a rise in demand for the services of our local Food Banks. To add to this stress, our city is also seeing drastic declines in the number of volunteers supporting their work. There is also a rising concern of the amount of stock our Food Banks have access to, as a decrease in workforce means fewer pickups. 

Many of us have the privilege of staying safe in our homes while still being able to afford our necessities. Even then, many of us have the opportunities to engage in extra luxuries. Many of us have also qualified for corporate and government assistance. While we have prepared ourselves for the impacts of COVID-19, Food Bank users cannot afford the same comfort. This unfortunately leaves many members of our community more vulnerable during this global pandemic. As a community it is our responsibility to help as much as we can, especially in the month of Ramadan. We hope to educate the public on the hard work of the Ottawa Food Banks and together relieve some of the stress that has been put on them.   

Ottawa Food Banks are focusing on securing support for additional resources (food, funds and volunteers) in order to continue food assistance in local communities. Our food-insecure neighbours must remain a top priority. Without the public’s support, our Food Banks will have a hard time staying open. Join us in assisting families have access to our Food Banks, especially those in our community that require it to break their fast. Please be as generous as you can, whether it is with your time or your donations.