GTA paralegal offering pro bono services to first-time offenders arrested for stealing groceries

Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Neil Hetherington on the support needed as demand on food banks increases during the holiday season.

As holiday music echoes throughout grocery store aisles brimming with seasonal indulgences, the contrast beyond the checkout lines is growing sharper: more families are struggling to afford the feast.

That’s why one paralegal in the Greater Toronto Area is launching a holiday initiative offering pro bono help to first-time offenders accused of stealing groceries, providing services to those acting out of necessity and hoping to bring a measure of mercy as the cost of food continues to rise.

Jeramy J. Silverstein, a licensed paralegal with Miguel | Silverstein Paralegal LLP who launched his career in March, said the idea first sparked after volunteering at a food bank in Mississauga.

“I see people coming in and basically they don’t have the same access to food that they should, and we’re talking about everybody from different walks of life—people that you wouldn’t even think that would rely on food banks are relying on food banks now,” Silverstein said in an interview with CTV News Toronto.

Feed Ontario recently published their annual Hunger Report this month, warning the demand for food banks in the province is outpacing the resources that are available.

• READ MORE: Food banks are breaking under the weight of rising poverty in Ontario, new report says

Since 2019, the hunger-relief organization noted an 87 per cent rise in food bank users since 2019, with more than a million people visiting this year alone.

Silverstein says he was hearing more cases of Ontarians getting charged for stealing necessities—items like bread, eggs, and baby formula—which sat heavy in his stomach. The real turning point, what brought Silverstein to the table of pro bono work over the holidays, was when he heard a senior’s case in court.

“He was charged for theft and, literally, it was a can of tuna and a loaf of bread,” Silverstein recounted. “He looked so defeated and he looked so ashamed … I’ll never forget the look, because that could have been anybody, that could have been my grandfather.”

Under Section 364 of Canada’s Criminal Code, which deals with fraudulently obtaining food or beverages, Silverstein says if the theft is under $5,000 it is typically considered a summary conviction if the accused is found guilty.

A spokesperson for Toronto Police could not say how many reports of theft under $5,000 they received this year, as it is not tracked on their public safety data portal.

So, throughout this holiday season, Silverstein says he will be offering services to first-time offenders accused of stealing groceries out of necessity, at no cost to his clients.

When Silverstein spoke with CTV News Toronto on Tuesday, he said he was not currently representing anyone for this pro bono initiative but adds he anticipates he will get a few calls.

“Obviously there is going to be—there might be—a limit because obviously I want to … give 100 per cent to each client that comes in, and because I’m the only one that’s doing it,” Silverstein said.

“If this does well for Christmas, I am going to be doing it again for Thanksgiving. So, basically, when holidays and food (are) combined, that’s when I’m going to be launching the program.”

Cost of groceries are rising, as is the number of food bank users

Going to the till at the grocery store next year is going to cost an average family of four in Canada nearly $1,000 more than this year, as the latest Food Price Report notes climate change and trade are likely going to drive up prices.

• READ MORE: How much more the average Canadian family is expected to spend on food in 2026

The increase—which the report estimates will be a $994.63—will total $17,571.79 for the whole of 2026, with the price adjusting for a four to six per cent inflation rate.

The grocery basket item to see the highest price change is meat. In 2025, the cost of meat rose by 7.2 per cent in price, and the report anticipates another five to seven per cent increase next year.

Food insecurity is already a pressing issue in the province, as more Ontarians are flocking to food banks this year. Feed Ontario’s hunger report reveals one in four employed Ontarians have visited a local food bank this year, as they’re struggling to cover their grocery bills.

“Families that were once ‘just getting by’ are now ‘barely holding on,’ which has led to more Ontarians than ever before having no choice but to turn to food banks for help,” the hunger report reads.

In Toronto, more than one in 10 people make use of a food bank, according to the Daily Bread, with a record-breaking 4.1 million visits—marking a 340 per cent increase in visits since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Over half of these respondents (54 per cent) visited Toronto-area food banks three or more times monthly, up from 43 per cent in 2024.

• READ MORE: Food bank use is at an alarming number in Canada. Here’s how you can help

The food bank says this report reveals the strains of putting food on the table and “exposes a deepening crisis of food insecurity and poverty” in the city.

“Poverty and hunger are becoming normalized in Canada, and we cannot build a strong Canada when our neighbours are hungry,” Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley said in the Daily Bread report.

“This isn’t just a food bank issue; this is a national crisis that demands systemic change.”

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Miriam Katawazi and The Canadian Press