There’s no escaping just how crushing the increasing cost of groceries is, and it’s even been affecting the people we might consider affluent, so how tough is it for the organizations we depend on who are trying to level the playing field, and can they overcome those same economic pressures themselves? On this holiday week, we tackle the essential questions on local food security with two people who know about it.

More people are feeling food insecure, and Feed Ontario’s last Hunger Report said that over a million people in the province are now using food banks, with over one-third of them accessing those services for the first time. Some municipalities are declaring emergencies in food security, and the City of Toronto recently approved a pilot to open government-owned grocery stores, but how do we address the problem right here and right now in our own community?

Such a big problem requires the assistance of two guests starting with Guelph Food Bank CEO Carolyn McLeod-McCarthy. She’s going to talk about the logistics of their spring donation drive, the things that they need now and always need, and the ways they’re struggling to keep up with demand in areas like distribution and access. We will also talk about how current economic conditions are impacting the amount of donations they’re receiving.

After that, we will talk to Dawn Wheeler, a support worker for the West Village Co-op neighbourhood group. She will discuss the unique challenges in the west end, the number of people they’re helping out, and the ways they have to be creative to help as many people as possible. She will also talk about filling people’s needs beyond food, and the ways they specifically need assistance when it comes to donations, and volunteer opportunities.

So let’s talk about local food insecurity on this week’s Guelph Politicast!

The Guelph Food Bank’s Spring Food Drive runs through April 22, and donating is as easy as dropping food off in the marked bins at your neighbourhood grocery store. You can also learn about other ways to give or give back at their website. You can also learn more about all the programs at the West Village Co-op on their website. For more discussion on food security, tune into Open Sources Guelph on Friday for an interview with Feed Ontario CEO Carolyn Stewart.

The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at Apple, TuneIn and Spotify .

Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Photo courtesy of Food Banks Mississauga.