Since 1989, food bank use has increased by 99 per cent

With food bank use on the rise in virtually every community across the country, the Canadian Association of Food Banks has drafted an online petition it hopes will be a clarion call to Ottawa to help end hunger in Canada.

The petition, addressed to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and members of his cabinet including Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg, appeals to Canadians to urge the federal government to take action on hunger in honour of National Hunger Awareness Day on Tuesday.

Since 1989, food bank use has increased by 99 per cent.

Katie Karimi, a Toronto-area mother who used a food bank for six months when her marriage was ending, says there are many misconceptions of the types of individuals that rely on food banks.

"The majority of these people are working, a lot of them are working full-time, a lot of them have university and college education," she said.

"People who use food banks are people like me, people like you, a neighbour, it could be anybody."

LINK: Canadian Press

LINK: National Hunger Awareness.ca