Commentary

Monthly Message: How team spirit fuels the fight against food insecurity in Orangeville

February 5, 2026   ·   0 Comments

Every February, something really special happens in Dufferin County. To me, it is the BEST DAY EVER. On what is often one of the coldest nights of the year, hundreds of our neighbours bundle up, lace up their boots, and head outside in matching toques – not because they have to, but because they want to make a difference for those living with food insecurity in our community. Coldest Night of the Year 2026 invites us to step out in the cold for our neighbours who are dealing with hunger as we walk 2 or 5 km routes through the beautiful streets of Downtown Orangeville at the end of February.

Just a couple of weeks earlier, from Feb. 16 to 21, we reflect on Non-Profit Appreciation Week. It’s a time to say thank you to the food banks, shelters, outreach programs, and community organizations that quietly take care of people all year long. When you put those two moments together, they tell a really powerful story about who we are in Dufferin County.

One of the things I love most about Coldest Night of the Year is our Team Captains. Every year, they come up with the most fun, clever, and hilarious team names. Some make you laugh out loud. Some tug at your heart. And some tell you exactly why that group is walking. But every single one of them represents a group of people who decided to turn caring into action… team names like Hungry Hikers, Walking for Waffles and Like a BOSS are just a few of the teams already registered to walk.

Behind every team name is a story – a family walking for someone they love, a workplace doing something good together, a group of friends who just wanted to help, or a team that has been personally touched by hunger or homelessness. Those names might look playful on a sign, but they are rooted in something very real.

So why do we walk?

We walk because too many people in Dufferin County are struggling to make ends meet.
We walk because grocery prices are high and rent is even higher.
We walk because no one should have to choose between heat and food.

And we walk because this community cares.

This year’s Coldest Night of the Year takes place right here at the Orangeville Food Bank. We’ll be gathering at 3 Commerce Road on Saturday, Feb. 28. Everyone is invited to arrive at 4:30 p.m., with the walk starting at 5 p.m. sharp. After the walk, we’ll come back together in the back lot of the Orangeville Food Bank for a warm, celebratory meal – because that’s what we do, food is at the heart of everything!

We’re already blown away by the generosity and momentum in Orangeville’s Coldest Night of the Year 2026! With 231 walkers and 57 teams registered so far, funds are being raised for the Orangeville Food Bank and the Dufferin Food Share. Leading the pack are the Optimist Club of Orangeville, with more than $12,000 raised to date, followed by St. Mark’s Marchers, Thursday Trail Blazers, Tuesday Night Titans, the Ukuladies and Ukuladdies, and there are still several weeks to go.

All of the funds raised stay right here in our community, supporting the Orangeville Food Bank and the Dufferin Food Share. Every dollar helps put food on tables, keep shelves stocked, and make sure that when someone in our community needs food support, it’s there.

Non-Profit Appreciation Week gives us a chance to appreciate the work that happens behind the scenes every day. The volunteers who stock shelves. The staff who answer phones. The drivers who deliver food. The people who sit with someone when life feels overwhelming. Coldest Night of the Year helps make sure that work can keep going.

For me, this walk is personal. Coldest Night of the Year is what brought me to the Orangeville Food Bank in the first place, many years ago. It showed me how powerful it is when the community decides to do something for their neighbours.

If you’d like to walk, start a team, sponsor the event, or volunteer, all the details can be found at en.cnoy.org/location/orangeville. I hope you’ll join us. Bundle up, bring a friend, and come be part of something really special, because it’s COLD out there.

That’s why we walk.

This week’s Community Voice submission was provided by Carrie-Anne DeCaprio, donor engagement and outreach manager for the Orangeville Food Bank.

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