The Leeds Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit wants the public to know the local truth about food insecurity.
According to a press release from the health unit ten per cent of households in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark are food insecure. A home is considered food insecure when it doesn’t have enough money to buy nutritious food. These homes have a higher risk of poor physical, oral and mental health.
Registered Dietitian Marie Traynor says food charity is not a solution but a relief strategy to a dire need situation. The health unit says a family of four with on full time minimum wage job, single mother with two children receiving Ontario Works and person on disability benefits all struggle for food security.
The health unit has released an inforgraphic for food insecurity numbers and how to use them. You can find it by clicking here.