Food security is a major challenge for many people across Canada, and Hamilton is no exception. A Public Health Ontario report from last year indicated that in Hamilton, more than one in four households experienced food insecurity in 2020. This is a staggering statistic that demands attention and action. 

In this episode of Vital Signs, Rudi Wallace welcomes two guests on the front lines of this issue: Radhika Subramanyan, CEO, Hamilton Food Share and Jeffrey Young, Executive Director and founder of Gore Park COmmunity Outreach.

Key quotes 

“What excites me about Hamilton Food Share is that it’s a central hub. We support around 16 organizations and 22 meal programs. The main piece is that we’re Hamiltonians helping Hamiltonians. We coordinate rather than compete, and we get food where it’s really needed.” Radhika Subramanyan 

“When I started, our Wednesday night outreach served about 100 people at each stop. Today, it’s 300–400 per location. During COVID, we started Gore Park Outreach with six volunteers helping displaced people. Now we help over 3,000 people across Hamilton with about 170 volunteers. It’s heartbreaking, but I believe we can do it.” Jeffrey Young 

“The face of food insecurity has changed. It’s seniors on limited incomes, people working full‑time who still can’t afford food, and people who used to donate to food banks who now rely on them. Each number is a person. One story shared with me was of a mother skipping meals so her kids could eat. The hardest part for her wasn’t the sacrifice—it was explaining to her kids why they didn’t have milk or cereal.” Radhika Subramanyan 

“We’re informal. No intake forms. Everyone is welcome. Many people can’t access traditional food banks because of work schedules or other barriers. We’re stable—they know we’re there every Saturday. Food is our gateway to say hello, but the real work is building hope and relationships. We know people by name. If someone doesn’t show up, we notice. We’re not asking for anything—just showing kindness, respect, and compassion.” Jeffrey Young 

Food insecurity is not a food problem—it’s a systems problem. The best solution is people having enough income to buy their own food. We advocate at municipal, provincial, and national levels through Feed Ontario and Food Banks Canada. We also support culturally appropriate food programs and Indigenous‑led food banks.” Radhika Subramanyan 

“We’re like modern day “dumpster divers”—we rescue food that would otherwise go to landfill. We get zero funding, so we rely on creativity and the kindness of strangers. We now support schools, including a mini food bank at McMaster University because we saw so many post secondary students lining up at Gore Park.” Jeffrey Young