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Pre-packaged donation bags at local grocery stores support the Orangeville Food Bank

December 4, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By James Gerus

Several Orangeville grocery stores are continuing their pre-packaged donation bag program in town with the Orangeville Food Bank, providing an assorted bag of non-perishable food items for those in need; a great gift for families in the community seeking food this holiday season.

The Orangeville food bank has seen an increase in the number of people in the community looking for food over the past few years.

One of the programs they have strategized is having a variety of prepackaged bags containing non-perishable food items near the checkout counters of various grocery stores. They are easy to spot: brown paper bags filled with non-perishable items, including soup, rice, dry pasta, and oatmeal. Snacks and dessert items such as cookies and crackers may also be included in the bags.

Carrie-Anne DeCaprio, the Orangeville Food Bank’s director of donor engagement and outreach, explains that while this program was founded before she arrived, it is nevertheless an incredibly helpful way to bring in more food for the community.

Explaining how it works, DeCaprio said, “We at the Orangeville Food Bank, at the beginning of every month, send out our most needed list to the grocery stores, and whenever possible, they try and make sure those items are put into the donation bags.”

Three major Orangeville-based grocery stores currently participating in the program include Sobeys, FreshCo., and Metro. The bags are priced differently so customers can choose a price that fits their budget, with some at $10 and others at $15.

Moreover, some bags include items for different needs, such as bags of food specifically suited for infants or bags with only household items. After purchase, the bags are placed in a donation bin, usually near the front of the store, and volunteers pick them up every week.

On a more creative note, some customers may occasionally find some of the bags drawn in crayon. One of the managers at Sobeys reaches out to local elementary schools and gets the young students to decorate the bags in a way only kids can. The students will create a variety of illustrations on the bags and write a positive message or two.

The purchase of the bags is especially needed as the number of people visiting the Orangeville Food Bank is increasing. Just last month, they saw 1,566 people come through their front door seeking assistance.

In addition to the pre-packaged donation bags in grocery stores, they have launched their Festive Giving Campaign with the Orangeville Citizen, offering Festive Giving Cards, purchased as donations to the food bank, which are then gifted for Christmas.

On how the specific food in the bags is especially needed around the holidays, DeCaprio adds the convenience of the pre-selected bags, “makes giving the donations easy. It’s items we need that are pre-packaged so you can feel good about purchasing them at the local grocery stores.”

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