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COBS Bread fundraising for Orangeville Food Bank with raffle and Donation Day

March 6, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

A staff-led initiative at a local bakery is looking to raise $4,000 for the Orangeville Food Bank.

COBS Bread (489 Broadway) is holding a Bread for a Year Raffle from March 8 to its Donation Day on April 5. From every hot cross bun six-pack sold on Donation Day, $2 will be donated to the Orangeville Food Bank, along with the proceeds generated by the raffle.

The choice to support the food bank comes from COBS Bread staff, according to the bakery’s owner Amber North.

“Earlier in the year, the food bank posted something on Facebook of their empty shelves, and our head baker, Mike came in, and his eyes were welled up. He said, ‘we have to do something,’” said North.

“So that the next day, we started collecting food, and just for that week, we said if you donate $5 [to the food bank] you get a free scone, and we raised, like, $2,000 in a week. That was all led by the staff. They have big hearts, and they are always looking for ways to help.”

North said the staff again wanted to support the Orangeville Food Bank, so they were selected as the recipient of funds for this year’s Donation Day.

In past years, COBS Bread has supported Family Transition Place and Headwaters Health Care Centre.

Since opening the bakery in 2022, North said she’s really enjoyed supporting community groups and events, as well as donating leftover bread at the end of each day.

“That’s one part why I love COBS and why we really were drawn to this franchise… there’s no waste, like everything’s donated at the end of the day.”

The Salvation Army, Lighthouse (soup kitchen), Orangeville Food Bank, Shelburne Food Bank and Family Transition Place have all been recipients of end-of-day donations from COBS.

“A story that brings tears to my eyes – a lady came in and she said, ‘I always get your bread from a local food bank and I love it.’ And she told us, ‘I have extra money this month and I wanted to support your business,’ so she came in and bought like $40 worth of bread.”

Tickets for the Bread for a Year Raffle are $5 each and are available at the bakery. The winner will receive a card that gives them access to 52 loaves of bread from COBS.

North said she would encourage everyone to stop by on April 5 for Donation Day as well as take part in the raffle in the weeks prior.

“In my mind, it’s about community spirit. You’re supporting the community, and in all aspects, by supporting the bakery and then coming in on that specific day, it’s also supporting those that are really struggling right now,” she told the Citizen.

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