# Food insecurity and charity strain in Canada > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/food-insecurity-and-charity-strain-in-canada > Updated: 2026-10-23T16:00:00.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. Food assistance organizations in Canada are experiencing unprecedented pressure due to rising demand and resource shortages. An Ipsos survey for Second Harvest found that 89% of responding non-profits saw an increase in demand over a one-year period, with 35% forced to turn people away and 33% maintaining waitlists. Data from the Food Banks Canada HungerCount 2026 report indicates that monthly visits reached a record 2.35 million in March 2026, marking an 8.7% increase from 2025 and a 117% rise since 2019. The crisis affects diverse demographics, including children—who account for approximately 776,000 monthly visits—and employed individuals, whose representation rose to nearly 18% of clients. Economic factors, including a 30% rise in food prices, a 28% increase in housing costs, and a 24% increase in transportation costs since 2021, have forced many to choose between food and other essentials such as rent and utilities. In response to the rising demand, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has selected Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest to administer up to $20 million from the federal Local Food Infrastructure Fund’s Community Support Stream. Each organization will receive up to $10 million to assist eligible food banks and non-profits with food acquisition and distribution. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-23: Canada food bank visits reach record 2.35 million monthly Canada's monthly food bank visits hit a record 2.35 million in 2026, driven by rising food and housing costs. The federal government is allocating $20 million to support food distribution. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/canada-food-bank-visits-reach-record-235-million-monthly ### 2026-10-07: Canada food charities face surging demand and resource shortages A Second Harvest survey shows 89% of Canadian food charities saw increased demand last year, with many forced to use waitlists or turn people away due to resource shortages. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/canada-food-charities-face-surging-demand-and-resource-shortages --- Cite as: Food insecurity and charity strain in Canada. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/food-insecurity-and-charity-strain-in-canada