Judging by the growing number of children and their families relying on food banks to meet their basic food security needs, food insecurity is on the rise in Niagara, says research by Adjunct Professor of Political Science Joanne Heritz (BA ’91, MA ‘04).

“As charitable organizations, food banks were designed to provide temporary assistance to those in need,” says Heritz. “Today, they are responding to systemic inadequacies by supporting an alarming number of vulnerable residents with food security.”

Heritz will discuss the latest research on the causes and impacts of food insecurity and present effective community-based initiatives that have been implemented in Niagara during a free webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 24 from noon to 1 p.m.

“My hope is that people attending the webinar will gain greater awareness of the pervasiveness of food insecurity in our community and advocate for more resources to assist the most vulnerable in Niagara,” says Heritz.

The webinar draws upon research Heritz conducted earlier this year for a policy brief she produced with Brock’s Niagara Community Observatory (NCO).

The policy brief included a number of statistics that paint a concerning picture, including the finding that one in 10 St. Catharines, Thorold and Welland residents and one in eight Niagara Falls, Port Colborne and Wainfleet residents visited a food bank in 2023.

The brief also notes a “dramatic” rise in the number of employed people accessing Niagara’s food banks for the first time, with some working three or four jobs and others on fixed incomes.

The webinar, offered Brock University’s Office of Research Services, aims to raise awareness on an issue of growing concern, says Research Impact Manager Jayne Morrish.

“This webinar comes at a crucial time as food insecurity continues to affect more families across Niagara,” says Morrish. “Our goal is to shed light on the issue and inspire actionable change to support tangible differences in the community.”

Although the webinar is free and open to the public, registration is required to access the event.