Councillors from Port Hope and Cobourg toured the Northumberland Fare Share Food Back in Cobourg on Friday, September 13, 2024.
It was part of the national campaign that was started in Ontario by Feed Ontario with partnerships of local food banks.
In 2023 a record-breaking amount of over one million people in Ontario visited local food banks.
This is the eighth consecutive year that food bank use has risen and the number of people relying on a food bank has nearly doubled from just 3 years ago.
Food banks were only ever intended to help people in times of emergency. With this added strain, food banks across Ontario are reaching capacity, Feed Ontario is calling on the provincial government to act now to invest in affordable housing, create quality jobs, and rebuild our social support programs so that food banks don’t have to bear the pressure of a broken social safety net.
Operations Manager with Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank Meghan Flindall showed Port Hope Deputy Mayor Claire Holloway Wadhwani, Robert Boekee (for MP Philip Lawrence), Cobourg Councillors Brian Darling, Miriam Mutton, Aaron Burchatt the Cobourg site located on D’Arcy Street.
Flindall said in the local area over 700 new clients have accessed the food bank which is more than the number of new people that have used the food bank in 2023.
On the good side of things, Flindall said the food bank is still getting “amazing support” from the area.
“Our corporate partners, our individual partners, our groceries stores, our farms – Northumberland County really cares.”
“But we’re having to purchase more and more food to help the people that need it.”
The food banks are seeing more and more people that have jobs using their services.
One in three people that use the food bank are people under the age of 18.
The walk in fridge/freezer allows the storage of food safely whether it is from farms, purchased food like milk and eggs, beef and chicken.
“Without them we would have a lot less food.”
“You have to be able to move food, to accept food.”
Last year almost 800,000 pounds was moved through the food banks in Cobourg and Port Hope.
“We’re really happy to have our councillors here – it’s been a wonderful day.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
