Commentary

Monthly Message: A new chapter for Orangeville Food Bank’s Dufferin Food Share in Grand Valley

August 7, 2025   ·   0 Comments

There’s a quiet kind of magic that happens when people come together with a shared purpose. At Dufferin Food Share, that magic has been building for months — and now, we are proud and excited to announce the opening of our brand-new location at the old schoolhouse, 27 Main Street North in Grand Valley.

To celebrate this milestone, we’re inviting the entire community to our Community Open House on Monday, Aug. 25, from 4 to 6 p.m. Whether you’re a long time supporter, a curious neighbour, or someone in need of support, we want you there.

This new location represents more than a change in address. It’s a commitment to the people of Grand Valley and our rural communities — a promise that no one should be left behind when it comes to accessing healthy food, support, and community care. For too long, rural Dufferin has been underserved. With this new space, we’re working to change that.

We’re transforming the building at 27 Main Street North into a warm, welcoming hub where residents can access nutritious food in a way that preserves dignity and offers choice. We’ll also be offering shared space for local agencies to provide services on-site, making support more accessible for those who live in and around Grand Valley. It’s about bringing help closer to home.

As we prepare to open our doors, I want to extend a personal invitation to everyone in the community to be part of this exciting new chapter. Join us on Aug. 25 to tour the new space, meet our team, enjoy refreshments, and learn more about the services we’ll be offering. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with our amazing volunteers and discover how you can get involved.

Our journey to this point has been made possible by the generous spirit of this community. But we still need your help. The costs of renovating, outfitting, and maintaining our new space are ongoing, and we’re actively looking for financial partners who can walk with us into this new season of service.

If you’re able to contribute — either through a one-time gift or as a monthly donor — please reach out to me directly at 226-558-2109 or carrie-anne.decaprio@orangevillefoodbank.org. Every dollar helps us keep the shelves stocked and the lights on. More importantly, it helps us ensure that every person who walks through our doors is met with care and compassion.

We’re also in the middle of another exciting initiative: our Summerlicious Food Drive, happening Friday, Aug. 16. This is a one-day, all-hands-on-deck effort to fill our shelves at a time when food donations typically drop off — but community need remains high.

You’ll find us at No Frills, Metro, FreshCo., and Sobeys, collecting food donations. And over at Zehrs, we’ll be joined by FM 101, broadcasting live from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., bringing even more energy and awareness to the campaign. It’s a fun and impactful way to give back, and we’d love for you to be part of it.

And speaking of incredible efforts to fight food insecurity, I want to take a moment to thank someone truly special — Randy Hunter, one of our volunteers, who just completed a 700-kilometre cycling journey across Ontario as part of his Ride Food Bank Ride campaign. His ride ended at the Orangeville Food Bank on Tuesday, Aug. 5, and throughout his journey, he raised nearly $7,000 to support food programs across our community.

Randy’s dedication, strength, and generosity are nothing short of inspiring. He didn’t just ride for the challenge — he rode for change. As a volunteer and advocate, Randy has shown us all what’s possible when passion and purpose combine. We couldn’t be more proud of his accomplishment, and we are so deeply grateful for the awareness and support he’s brought to our cause.

What all these events share — our Grand Valley opening, the Summerlicious food drive, and Randy’s incredible ride — is the belief that food is a basic human right. We are strongest when we come together, when we support one another, and when we choose compassion over convenience.

So please, mark your calendars:

• Aug. 16 – Summerlicious Food Drive at local grocery stores
• Aug. 25 – Community Open House at 27 Main Street North, Grand Valley from 4 to 6 p.m.

Come see what we’re building. Come be part of something meaningful. Come help us create a stronger, more connected community –– where no one goes hungry, and everyone is welcome.

The following Community Voice submission was written by Carrie-Anne DeCaprio, the Orangeville Food Bank’s donor engagement and outreach manager.

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