Rural poverty crisis deepens across Dundas County, agencies struggle to meet growing demand

DIXON’S CORNERS – Rural poverty is often hidden behind doors, and tucked away amongst the quiet landscapes of Dundas County, but a recent gathering of  local agency leaders made one thing clear: the crisis is real, and it is growing.

About 50 community members and advocates gathered May 14 at Matilda Hall to confront the sobering realities of local poverty.

Co-hosted by Linking Hands, a House of Lazarus initiative the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, and the United Way of SDG the meeting brought together nine area agencies to share first-hand accounts and alarming data from the front lines of the crisis.

Cathy Ashby, Executive Director of the House of Lazarus, led what she described as an important and difficult discussion. She explained that the well-being and dignity of those suffering is a collective responsibility shared by all, noting that no single agency or person alone can solve all the problems, but together the community can help.

The two-hour session laid bare the staggering statistics facing Dundas County residents. Chief among them is a severe food security crisis, with 25 percent of households in Dundas County—one in four—now experiencing food insecurity. According to Ashby, visits to the House of Lazarus food bank have spiked by 30 percent. Shockingly, 40 percent of those food bank clients are now children, which is the highest rate the agency has ever recorded. Ashby stated that agencies are struggling to meet needs and rural residents often go without the support they require.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit monitors food costs and in 2025, found that it cost $272 per week to feed a basic diet to a family of four.

Ashby noted that employment no longer guarantees financial stability, pointing to the gap between the minimum wage of $17.60 per hour and a true living wage of $22.20 per hour. She stressed that this gap is the difference between getting by and getting ahead.

She also criticized what she termed legislated poverty, pointing out that the poverty line sits at about $2,300 per month for a single person, yet government assistance programs like Ontario Works pay only $733 per month and the Ontario Disability Support Program pays just over $1,400 per month.

The crisis is being further exacerbated by a lack of affordable housing, the mandatory expense of vehicle ownership in rural areas, and a massive shortfall in childcare.

Dundas County currently has just 328 childcare spaces—all operating at full capacity—while more than 800 children sit on a waiting list. Cheryl Firlotte, Executive Director of Happy Face Daycare, emphasized that affordable childcare doesn’t mean anything if parents cannot even get a space.

Other vital senior and community services are feeling the squeeze of stagnant funding and rising inflation. Kaitlyn Veinotte of J.W. MacIntosh Community Support Services revealed that it now costs their agency $15.50 to produce a single Meals on Wheels meal. They charge clients just $6.25, relying heavily on fundraising to cover the deficit. Tragically, the financial strain on residents is so severe that some are cancelling the service entirely to save money, which Veinotte said is hard to see because clients are now viewing Meals on Wheels as a non-essential service. Meanwhile, Erin Heustis of Community Food Share highlighted that the sheer lack of rural transportation acts as a major barrier, preventing vulnerable residents from physically accessing the food support they desperately need.

Panelists spoke of receiving frantic, daily calls from residents forced into impossible choices, explaining that while agencies are doing their best with what they have, it is simply not enough.

Stephanie Lapointe of the United Way stated that rural communities need to stop being left behind, adding that it will take everyone and more to solve these issues.

The forum concluded with a unified call to action for the community and its leaders to advocate for social assistance and disability rates to be aligned with the actual cost of living, and to encourage local employers to pay a living wage.