Food bank survey results will come to Sudbury City Council this summer

The City of Greater Sudbury has launched an online survey it hopes will help paint a better picture about who's using local food banks and why they're doing so.

The municipality's director of social services, Tyler Campbell, says the most recent estimates suggest around 14,000 people each month use services like food banks or meal providers.

"We're looking more at what are some of the opportunities, some of the recommendations we're getting from individual citizens," Campbell said.

The survey posted online at overtoyou.greatersudbury.ca will be collecting anonymous public input until April 30.

It asks around 20 multiple choice questions about emergency food sources, including regularity of use, awareness of services and methods of transportation.

The city's community services committee will review the results, which will eventually be presented to council in July.

"Through a facility use agreement, we house a couple of emergency food bank locations in the region. With that, we thought it was time to do a review of those historical supports and take a look at the sustainability of being able to provide that on an ongoing basis," Campbell said.

The city currently has agreements to offer free rent to four of the Sudbury Food Bank's 46 member agencies namely the emergency food banks in Onaping Falls, Garson, Walden and Hanmer.

A report last year estimated the city foregoes about $1,600 in rent, plus around $1,800 in utilities costs to support those food banks.

'A little bit of a surprise'

The community's various emergency food agencies keep detailed numbers of who uses their services on a daily basis.

Campbell says the city isn't using any of that data, though is "working very closely with the food banks" to gather input.

But Dan Xilon, the executive director of the Sudbury Food Bank, which oversees its 46 member agencies, says the survey coming out last week was news to him.

"Anything that helps improve the systems for individuals who need assistance is fabulous by us. It's just a little bit of a surprise to have not been advised the survey was going out," notes Xilon.

Xilon says he's not sure what the city's planned "review of historical supports" might mean for those four food banks.

"As far as I know the only support systems that are in place are for those (fourfood banks) that don't pay rent. Is(the city) looking at making sure they can continue to not pay rent? Is there some reason why (the four food banks)may have to (pay rent)? I don't know," Xilon said.

"Obviously anything that affects the agencies concerns us to a degree, but until we know what they're talking about, we can't be getting up in a fuss about it."

The city has told the CBC that no changes to community food bank locations are being considered at this time.