Put Food in the Budget Campaign (Motion #15-09)

Moved by Proulx, Noland. Approved on March 20, 2009, by the Sudbury & District Board of Health.

Motion

WHEREAS a nutritious diet is essential for health and poor nutrition leads to inadequate growth and development in children and also leads to an increased risk of chronic and infectious diseases; and

WHEREAS the Ontario Hunger Report 2008 indicated food bank use in Sudbury increased by 34.4 per cent from September 2007 to September 2008; and

WHEREAS the Analysis of Ontario sample in Cycle 2.2 of the Canadian Community Health Survey (2004) revealed that food insecurity was reported in over 60 per cent of households in which the main source of income was social assistance; and

WHEREAS under motion 59-08  the Sudbury & District Board of Health requested that the provincial poverty reduction plan incorporate Nutritious Food Basket findings from across the province in developing targets and strategies; and

WHEREAS the Sudbury & District Health Unit has supported the Community Strategy to Reduce Poverty in the City of Greater Sudbury (2008) and has endorsed the 25 in 5 Founding Declaration; and

WHEREAS the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) is partnering with the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction in an Ontario wide campaign, “Put Food in the Budget”, to urge the Ontario government to add a Healthy Food Supplement to the Basic Needs Allowance for all adult recipients of social assistance, as part of the Spring 2009 budget; and

WHEREAS the Healthy Food Supplement, a $100 monthly supplement for all adults receiving social assistance,  will support the province in making progress on its stated commitment to reduce poverty by 25 per cent over the next 5 years; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Sudbury & District Board of Health support the “Put Food in the Budget” campaign and inform the Premier, local Members of Provincial Parliament, alPHa and the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction of the same; and

FURTHER THAT the Sudbury & District Board of Health share this motion with appropriate community agencies and constituent municipalities and seek their respective support.

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This item was last modified on June 12, 2015