Pandemic Casts a Long Shadow on Food Security
OCSP funding has helped combat food insecurity throughout the COVID-19 crisis, but food insecurity will persist for vulnerable seniors even as pandemic ends.
February 28, 2022
An estimated one in seven Canadians struggle to afford basic nutrition, according to Dietitians of Canada. This number is up from the one in eight Canadians who were food insecure prior to the COVID-19 crisis, and with costs increasing everywhere, there’s concern that the number will rise further still.
Since April 2020, the Ontario Community Support Program (OCSP) has been helping organizations like Circle of Care Sinai Health and VON North Bay get food to the vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities who need it the most, through their Meals on Wheels programs. The funding, from the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility and administered by the Ontario Community Support Association, has been extended to March 2022. Organizations will need on-going funding past this date to continue to meet the needs of the many folks who benefit from this program.
Ensuring that isolated seniors and people with disabilities have access to reliable, nutritious food is an important preventative measure that helps to ease the strain on the healthcare system. Terry-Lynn Gravelle, the Meals on Wheels Coordinator for VON North Bay, has seen first-hand the transformative effect that access to healthy meals has had on clients in her program, like the gentleman who was on a liquid diet when he signed up for Meals on Wheels.
“Now he gets regular food to cook himself, because his health has improved,” she says. “I have another gentleman who is a diabetic and it was uncontrolled. Now his sugar is averaging eight, which is much better than [it was] in the high teens. So this funding has allowed me to assist them and improve their health, but they otherwise would not be able to afford to get fresh produce because it's too expensive.”
While the cost of fresh produce continues to rise, base funding for these organizations often remains the same. “We're renegotiating with our three different food providers, and they're all looking for 10 to 20% increases depending on the vendor and their prices. So obviously, that drives our costs up and our funding is fixed,” says Josi Sarne, Director, Community Engagement & Growth at Circle of Care. “That puts us into a position of needing to find ways to get more money, either through increasing our base funding, or raising our prices to clients, which you know, we absolutely do not want to do, or cutting back in other ways. None of those are easy choices, or ones that we want to make.”
71% of respondents to a recent OCSP survey estimated that more than 25% of their clients are facing food insecurity, and for many Meals on Wheels clients on a fixed income, even a minimal charge like $6.50 a meal is out of reach, and without additional funding, either from the government or corporate and individual donors, organizations are challenged to make tight funding stretch even further. The program is already reliant on the thousands of volunteers who not only donate their time to deliver meals and produce boxes, but also use their own vehicles, often without reimbursement for gas or mileage.
These volunteers, like Noah, a young adult with a disability who delivers with the help of his parents; David, whose delivery companion is his daughter’s 18-month old Bernedoodle dog; Lissie and Gail, a pair of friends who volunteer together; and one of the women who helped to start the North Bay Meals on Wheels program in the 70’s, are not only a friendly face for isolated seniors, in some cases they’re a lifeline.
“It's not just the food and the nutrition that [seniors are] getting,” says Lisa Rae, Director of Volunteers, Intake and MOW Services. “It's that safety check. That's very important for a lot of our seniors. And unfortunately, our volunteers have found clients on the floor periodically, throughout the year, where EMS has had to be called, or a relative has had to be called to come and attend to them.”
With Spring on the horizon and an easing of COVID-19 restrictions, life is beginning to feel a bit less precarious for many Ontarians. But the reality is, even once the pandemic ends, food insecurity will remain. “The need is out there,” Josi says, “It continues to be out there, it's not going away. And, you know, if you add on an additional pressure of costs, reducing the amount you can provide, and you've got more people, then it makes for a pretty significant challenge to continue the program the way we'd like to continue the program.”
Peter, a volunteer with Circle of Care Meals on Wheels, feels fortunate to be in a position to help others. “If we have learned nothing else during this historic pandemic, it is that in order to survive, we must do so as part of a larger community,” he says. If you have been looking for ways to help your community, either by donating time or money, please consider Meals on Wheels, as the need has never been greater.
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Ottawa, Ontario – [January 14, 2026] — The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) is calling on the provincial government to prioritize sustained investment in Home Care and Community Support Services in the 2026 Ontario Budget. Without action, seniors will lose essential services and hospital emergency rooms will face even greater pressures. Appearing today before the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, OCSA CEO Lori Holloway highlighted that community-based care is a cornerstone of Ontario’s health system—keeping people healthy at home, enabling them to age with dignity and preventing unnecessary hospital and long-term care admissions. “Without new investment in Community Support Services, seniors will lose meals and personal care services, caregivers will lose day programs for their loved ones, and hospital beds will fill up as more people are stuck waiting for care that should be delivered at home,” said Holloway. OCSA represents more than 200 not-for-profit home care and community care providers across Ontario, delivering services such as high-needs home care, Meals on Wheels, assisted living, transportation to medical appointments, adult day programs for people living with dementia, and respite supports for caregivers. While the province has made recent investments in home care expansion, OCSA emphasized that these gains are fragile if the community supports that enable people to remain safely at home are allowed to erode. Community Support Services account for less than two per cent of Ontario’s total health budget, yet received no funding increase in Budget 2025 . As a result, many providers are already planning service reductions or facing difficult decisions, including reducing meal delivery routes, limiting day programs and respite services, scaling back transportation programs, and closing adult day programs for part of the week. In turn, service reductions will place additional strain on working caregivers, 69% of whom are experiencing burnout and nearly half of whom are considering leaving the workforce to care for their loved ones. “These are not abstract risks,” Holloway said. “They are real service reductions being planned right now in communities across the province.” When community supports are unavailable, patients end up in hospital and/or remain in hospital beds longer—not because they need acute care, but because the services required for safe discharge do not exist. A hospital Alternate Level of Care (ALC) bed costs approximately $730 per day , compared to $103 per day for home and community care. Ontario’s aging demographics make the issue increasingly urgent. Nearly one in five Ontarians is now over the age of 65 , and the senior population is expected to grow significantly over the next decade. OCSA is urging the government to immediately: Sustain home care through a renewed multi-year investment of $442 million investment annually, and predictable funding; Invest $150 million annually to stabilize Community Support Services and prevent service cuts; and Address workforce shortages by closing the wage gap facing community health workers, who earn 23 to 46 per cent less than their hospital counterparts. “Ontario cannot build its way out of an aging population with hospitals and long-term care beds alone,” Holloway said. “Care delivered at home and in the community is where people want to be, and it is the most cost-effective and compassionate approach for the health system.” About the Ontario Community Support Association The Ontario Community Support Association represents more than 200 not-for-profit organizations providing home care and community support services across the province. OCSA members deliver essential services that help people live independently, age at home, and reduce pressure on hospitals and long-term care. For more information visit www.ocsa.on.ca or @OCSATweets For media inquiries please contact: Karla Sealy (she/her) Manager of Communications 416-256-3010/1-800-267-6272, ext 242 karla.sealy@ocsa.on.ca
Toronto, ON – The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) welcomes the Government of Ontario’s announcement in the 2025 Fall Economic Statement of a $1.1 billion investment to protect and expand home care services. This significant commitment demonstrates government’s recognition of the vital role that home and community care plays in the province’s healthcare system. “The Ontario Community Support Association welcomes this significant investment in home care. Previous funding commitments have helped stabilize the sector, supporting a measurable reduction in staff turnover and fewer missed care visits. These improvements mean more Ontarians are receiving the care they need, when and where they need it. We encourage the government to continue to invest in programs like Hospital to Home and organizations that bring together home care, community support, and independent living services, which are essential to building a system that keeps people healthy, connected, and cared for at home.” — Lori Holloway, Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Community Support Association As the province looks ahead, OCSA stands ready to collaborate with the Ministry of Health and system partners to advance innovative models that integrate home care, community support, and independent living services. Together, these efforts will help build a sustainable, connected system that keeps people healthy and cared for at home. About the Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) OCSA represents the full spectrum of organizations that deliver home and community support services across Ontario, helping people live independently and with dignity where they want to be—at home. Through advocacy, research, and member collaboration, OCSA works to strengthen the sector and build a more connected, person-centered health system. Media Contact: Karla Sealy Ontario Community Support Association Email: karla.sealy@ocsa.on.ca Website: www.ocsa.on.ca
With Ontario’s senior population expected to nearly double by 2046, the need for coordinated, community-based care has never been more urgent. OCSA’s latest policy paper outlines a practical roadmap for scaling Healthy Ageing Community Hubs—integrated models that deliver health, social, and housing supports to help older adults age safely at home. The paper identifies six key policy recommendations: integrated and flexible funding, expansion of existing models, streamlined regulation, digital health integration, empowered local leadership, and province-wide service mapping. These hubs are already demonstrating improved outcomes—from reduced hospital use to higher client satisfaction—but scaling them requires system-level action. This paper is a call to policymakers, health system leaders, and community organizations to build on what works.
