Day 17 - Food Security
2020 April 3
Friday
11:12pm:
Current numbers from my local health unit for cases in our region:
March 26: 1 case
March 28: 2 cases
March 29: 15 cases
March 30: 20 cases
March 31: 29 cases (2 deaths)
April 1: 35 cases
April 2: 40 cases
April 3: 52 cases
The press briefings from Trudeau and the province today gave me that feeling in the gut of my stomach that I rarely ignore.
I went out tonight and bought our month’s groceries.
Normally, I would spread the “topping up” of our supplies over 10-14 days, but the briefings today left me feeling unsettled. Now that we’ve picked up our cash & carry order, and restocked fruits, veg, and meat for the freezer, I feel more secure.
It’s amazing how comforting a full fridge and pantry feels. I acknowledge the amazing privilege I have in being able to plan my shopping in this fashion, and worry about Folks who do not have that ability. Poverty is a comorbidity. Poverty is a weak spot in our country’s ability to control the spread of this illness. This pandemic situation is laying bare how much we, as Canadians, rely upon human generosity to feed a significant percentage of our friends and neighbors.
The pandemic is leading to calls for universal basic income from places I never expected to hear it.