In our HungerCount 2021 report, we observed how the volatile combination of rising food and housing prices, along with low incomes, created “the perfect storm” when it came to demand for food bank services. We saw two waves of need: a new wave of clients, many impacted by pandemic-related unemployment, at food banks in larger urban centres; and a strong undercurrent of need at food banks in smaller urban centres and rural areas, which people with disabilities and seniors on fixed incomes who are struggling to cope with the steadily rising cost of living were more likely to rely on.