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A degree or diploma doesn’t necessarily keep hunger at bay. More than one quarter of people who use the Ottawa Food Bank have post-secondary education, such as a university degree, college diploma or trade accreditation, says a new report released by the food bank.

“For the first time, we have data that really tells the local story,” said Michael Maidment, the organization’s executive director, on Wednesday. The new data, collected through a system implemented in 2015, shows that 41,540 people use the Ottawa Food Bank each month.

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“The sheer number itself is striking,” says Maidment, who said that because the central food bank supplies 112 food banks and other agencies across Ottawa, it hasn’t had firm numbers on its total users in the past.

“What is more alarming is some trends that number uncovers,” Maidment said. “Hunger is not reserved for the homeless or those on social assistance. It is all around us and largely invisible. It could be someone you work with or your neighbour.”