Daily Bread Food Bank Endorses OCAP's Diet Supplement Campaign

Calls upon the government to release the Special Diet money to everyone on welfare and disability

On May 3, 2005, the Daily Bread Food Bank - by far the largest food bank in Toronto - re-affirmed its support for OCAP's Special Diet campaign. Daily Bread has made a strong and powerful statement ratified by their board. Daily Bread is "call[ing] upon the Ontario government to release the full special diet supplement immediately to all Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program recipients on a permanent, ongoing basis." They're also calling on physicians, surgeons, dieticians, midwives, and nurses across Ontario to support the campaign, pledging to sponsor clinics to get people signed up so they can get the money, and will have at all their food banks information on how to get the Special Diet money.

The full motion passed can be read below:

May 3, 2005 Daily Bread Food Bank Foundation of Toronto

Moved by: Ken Wood

Seconded by: Erika Klein

MOTION: SUPPORTING HEALTHY FOOD DIET SUPPLEMENTS

Whereas: Canada has signed and reaffirmed the United Nations Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, which includes "the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger"; and

Whereas: The City of Toronto's Food Charter explicitly states that: "Every Toronto resident should have access to an adequate supply of nutritious, affordable and culturally-appropriate food (and) Food Security contributes to the health and well-being of residents while reducing their need for medical care"; and

Whereas: Daily Bread's own extensive surveys indicate that over 175,000 people in the Greater Toronto Area alone are forced to rely on food programs every month, and that within this group 33% say their children go hungry at least once a week because they simply cannot feed them properly even with the support of food banks; and

Whereas: Daily Bread recognizes that current Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program benefit rates are too low for recipients to adequately and nutritiously feed themselves after attending to other basic necessities such as rent and transportation costs; and

Whereas: A Special Diet Supplement exists within the Ministry of Community and Social Services to enable people to access up to $250 a month if a medical professional believes it is required to combat nutritional deficiency,

1. Daily Bread Food Bank calls upon the Ontario government to release the full special diet supplement immediately to all Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program recipients on a permanent, ongoing basis.

2. Daily Bread Food Bank calls for the support of all medical professionals, including:

• Physicians and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario,
• Registered Nurses and the College of Nurses of Ontario,
• Registered Midwives and the College of Midwives of Ontario
• Registered Dieticians and the College of Dieticians of Ontario

to assist in the process of providing the Special Diet Supplement to all Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program recipients.

3. Daily Bread Food Bank will sponsor special clinics to assist those in need to register for the Special Diet Supplement.

4. Daily Bread Food Bank will ensure all member agencies have necessary information packages for food bank clients to follow up.

5. Daily Bread Food Bank will offer to provide a speaker chosen at the discretion of the Executive Director at a press conference regarding this topic (date to be determined).

Motion Carried.