Ontario Association of Food Banks

The Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) is a food bank network in the Canadian province of Ontario. Founded in 1992, the OAFB represents 125 food banks, and over 1,100 hunger-relief organizations across the province, including: urban and rural food banks, community kitchens, breakfast clubs and school meal programs, community food centres, emergency shelters, and seniors' facilities.[1] The mission of the Ontario Association of Food Banks is to "strengthen communities by providing food banks with food, resources, and solutions that address both short and long-term food insecurity."[2]

Every year, the OAFB releases a research report on hunger and food bank use in Ontario. In 2015, the OAFB Hunger Report[3] revealed:

• 358,963 people accessed food banks across Ontario in March 2015, with 120,554 of those clients being children under 18 years of age
• 35% increase in senior citizens visiting food banks over the previous year
• 49% of food bank clients are single-person households
• 90% of food bank clients are either rental or social housing tenants
• Over 12% of senior citizens fall below Ontario’s Low Income Measure. This number more than doubles to 27% when looking at seniors who also identify as single
• Senior citizens are expected to represent 23% of the population by 2030
• Single person households represent almost 50% of those who visit food banks, an 11% increase over the past 5 years
• The average food bank client spends 70% of their income on rent, leaving very little for all other necessities
• 1 in 3 jobs in Ontario is temporary, contract, or part-time. An individual working full-time, at minimum-wage will have an annual income of approximately $21,000, falling well below Ontario’s Low Income Measure

In 2007, the OAFB has been noted for innovative programming by The Globe and Mail[4] and the Toronto Star.[5]