Commentary

Orangeville Food Bank says policy change is needed to fight food insecurity

October 1, 2026   ·   0 Comments

September is Hunger Action Month. It is marked by delegations to local councils to highlight the need in the community and to advocate for a better system.

This year we are in the midst of a municipal election, and we have increased our efforts to include gathering the voices of those living with food insecurity and bringing their experience to the potential future leaders of our community.

This work is made possible through a Food Banks Canada grant specifically for advocacy because while donations are critical to supporting the work we do, only policy change will pull us out of the food insecurity crisis we are facing.

Food Insecurity is a failure of policy not a failure of people

I have sat across from countless people who tell me their story to help me understand why they find themselves at a food bank.

Illnesses, injury, domestic violence, job loss, mortgage rates — the list goes on.

No one ever wants to walk through the food bank doors. Sadly, last year 25,000 visits were made to our food bank.

On a monthly basis, we see 1,600 unique individuals, of which 33 per cent are kiddos.

When I started in 2015, we saw 380 people a month, and I used to say that I wanted to be put out of business. Almost 12 years in, I don’t believe that will happen. The need has grown by 320 per cent since I started.

Food banks do not receive funding from the provincial or federal government. We have been fortunate to receive funding from the Town of Orangeville and the County of Dufferin, which makes up 6 per cent of our needed funding this year.

Without the support of this community for the last 34 years, we would not have been able to do what we do. Sadly, donations have not kept pace with the increase in need.

Our community has always been our backbone, but right now, we are facing an unprecedented gap. When donations fall behind a 320 per cent spike in demand, it is the 1,600 real people — our neighbours, our coworkers, and those 500 children walking into our facility each month — who feel the deficit first.

Advocacy and policy changes are the only path to a future without hunger, but policy change takes time.

Our families cannot wait for an election cycle or a legislative shift to eat; they need to eat tonight. As we wrap up Hunger Action Month, we urgently call on the compassion that has sustained us for 34 years. Please consider making a financial or food donation today to help us bridge this gap, meet this staggering new reality, and ensure that no child or family in our community is left with an empty plate.

Thank you for helping us build a well-nourished community supported by kindness, dignity and choice.

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