About The Orangeville
Food Bank
Because Food Makes Tomorrow Possible
Everyday we see how hunger affects men, women and children and how it can become an obstacle to success. Life is challenging enough, imagine facing it on an empty stomach or with the added stress of wondering how you are going to put your next meal on the table. We are here to help.
Our Story
The Orangeville Food Bank (OFB) was founded in 1992 and some founders are still part of the volunteering team today. The OFB has 180+ regular volunteers and many more during the holidays with church and community service groups and sports teams.
Our Shopping Model allows clients to shop for their own grocery items, choosing foods they know their family will consume. This in turn provides greater dignity in their visit, leads to less waste and reduces the stigma associated with receiving an unknown food ‘hamper’.
We typically see between 1100- 1200 people each month. Of that 37% are children and women make up another 36% of those served. Since 2011 we have seen over a 1600% increase in the number of seniors needing support. In our last year we took in 500,000 pounds in community donations, local grocery bin collections and food drives as well as from our hub in Waterloo.
Orangeville’s first discussions on creating a food bank started as far back as November 8, 1991 at the Mill Street Mall in the Mall Management Office. A group of concerned citizens recognized the need to help the hungry. When the Orangeville Food Bank (OFB) opened its doors on May 23, 1992, its main focus was emergency food relief for members of the community who were in need of assistance due to loss of income, personal injury or other crisis.
We have had many homes since our first location on Mill Street. In April 2020 we were fortunate enough with the help of donors and the community to purchase 3 Commerce Road, doubling our space as we supported community members through the pandemic. This new space features a warm waiting room; a large shopping area; a new community kitchen and a warehouse with a proper loading dock and receiving area. None of that would have been possible without the tremendous support of our donors, volunteers and community members.
Our Vision, Mission And Values
Vision, Mission and Values statements are often overlooked in an organization as the day to day trials and tribulations take over the management of scarce resources. At the Orangeville Food Bank, however, we do our best to live and breathe each of these statements every day.
Vision
A well nourished community.
Mission
To lead in meeting the nutritional needs of our community, by providing dignified food assistance, education, and advocacy for solutions to end poverty.
Values
Inclusiveness and Respect
Innovation
Accountability
Collaborations
Hunger Facts
Household Food Insecurity Is The Inadequate Or
Insecure Access To Food Due To Financial Constraints.
Almost half of the food-insecure households in Canada consist of unattached individuals, living alone or with others.
Over 60%, of food-insecure households are relying on wages and salaries as their main source of income. Simply having a job is not enough; low-waged jobs and precarious work means people in the workforce often don’t have enough income to be food-secure.
Poverty Costs Canada Billions Of Dollars Annually
Precarious employment has increased by nearly 50% over the past two decades.
The effects of poverty can be expressed in different aspects of a person’s life, including food security, health, and housing.
The Impact of Poverty: Food Insecurity
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Residents in Nunavut spend twice as much on food as the rest of the country on average ($14,800 v. $7,300 annually).
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4 million people in Canada experience food insecurity.
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1 in 8 Canadian households struggle to put food on the table.
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In 2014, the majority of food insecure households – 62.2% – were reliant on wages or salary from employment.
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8 out of 10 provinces saw an increase in food bank usage in 2016.
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62% of children living in the North are food insecure.
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By end of 2018, 501,590 individuals accessed a food bank in Ontario.
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More than one-third of food bank users across Canada were children in 2016.
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37% of clients served at Orangeville Food Bank are children.
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More than 10,500 lbs of food are distributed each month through our Food Bank.
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Last year 141,000 pounds of community donations were received by the Food Bank.
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In 2018, there was an increase of 7% in family use over the previous year
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Food bank usage across Canada is 3% higher than 2015 and 28% higher than it was in 2008.
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Food bank usage has increased in all provinces since 2008, apart from Newfoundland and Labrador.
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In Canada, 2% of food bank users are Indigenous.
Myth: Hunger Happens Somewhere Else, It Doesn’t Exist Near Me.
Hunger may be closer than you think. Hunger exists in every Canadian city—including ours. In fact, Canadians visited Food Banks nearly 1.1 million times in March 2019. Between April 1st, 2018 and March 31st, 2019, Ontario’s food banks were accessed by 510,438 individuals that visited more than 3,059,000 times throughout the year.
Hunger isn’t always obvious—but it exists all around us.
Hunger Snapshot
Of food bank users in Canada are children, while only representing 18.8% of the population.
33.1%
1,462,795
There were a total of 1,462,795 visits to food banks across Canada in 2022.
Of food bank users in Canada are single adult households, while only representing 29.3% of the population.
45.4%
Of Canadian food bank users are on social assistance or disability-related supports as their main source of income.
49%
8.9%
Seniors represent 8.9% of Canadian
food bank users, with the rate of
increase far outpacing other age groups.
Single adults with children represent 17.9% of Canadian food bank users, while representing only 11.2% of the population.
17.9%
The ratio of Canadians accessing food banks that are currently employed.
1 in 7
4,045,013
A total of 4,045,013 meals and snacks were served in March of 2022 (does not include hamper programs).