As cost of living soars, more Canadians are relying on food banks

Kristina Kennedy poses with her daughters in Toronto in August. She is among a growing number of Canadians supplementing their pantries with occasional visits to the food bank.

Sticker shock hit hard when single mom Kristina Kennedy saw the sausages she usually buys were $1.50 more than expected.

As the sole caregiver to four children, the 40-year-old says price hikes at the grocery store are especially tough to swallow, and nearly impossible to plan for when costs keep fluctuating.

“And this is like the bargain grocery store,” says Kennedy, who relies on social supports because of multiple health issues that limit her ability to work.

Kennedy says her life and finances were upended by the sudden death of her husband just before she learned she was pregnant with twin girls, now seven-y