Last week federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu suggested people should prepare as they would for a natural emergency such as a severe snowstorm — by setting aside a week’s supply of food, medicine and other household supplies.

But with Toronto recording a seven-per-cent increase in food bank usage between 2018 and 2019, there are concerns that many people are simply not able to make that kind of preparation.

“Having a week’s worth of food stockpiled, having a month’s worth of food stockpiled is not an option for individuals who are making use of food banks,” Neil Hetherington, the CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank, told CBC News.

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