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 Photo from Mike Baker, The Highlander Demand spikes again at County food banks
Minden Community Food Centre (MCFC) manager Jean Munroe said things have never been busier at the Newcastle Street pantry, reporting an 18 per cent increase in demand through the first quarter of 2025, with Tina Jackson from Central Food Network reporting similar activity in Highlands East. The figureheads from two of the County’s three major food bank operations told The Highlander, in an April 18 interview, that there’s been a “non-stop surge” in numbers stretching back to 2019. According to Munroe, that’s putting considerable stress on the Minden food bank’s staff, volunteers, and bottom line. In 2024, the operation served 3,248 people, averaging 271 visits per month. Through January, February and March that total had reached 966 people – or 322 per month. “It’s been six years of increase after increase after increase. I haven’t seen demand go down yet,” said Munroe, who celebrated her third year with the operation in February. “The big issue I’m hearing from people is rent. People are struggling to make ends meet and keep a roof over their head. Unfortunately, food is one of the first things people opt to go without.” The recent ice storm had an impact, with some clients telling Munroe they lost all their frozen and refrigerated foods due to the prolonged power outage. Jump in the Lake foodbank fundraiser set for May 17 After seeing just over 3,000 visits in 2023 – the first time the Minden hub crossed that annual threshold, Munroe said she’s preparing to hit another new milestone this year. With economic uncertainty stemming from the Canada-U.S. trade war, she feels things may get worse for those struggling before it gets better. So, she and the MCFC board have decided to pivot. Beginning in mid-March, staff started sending clients home with three weeks’ worth of food, rather than the usual four, allowing the needy to visit more frequently. It’s the second major transition in the past eight months, after the food bank, last summer, increased the amount of food people get each visit. “We’re seeing the crunch everywhere – food is flying off our shelves faster than ever before. Trying to keep up with that is bringing its own challenges right now,” Munroe said, noting when she started the operation spent about $3,500 a month on food. Now, its bill is more than double that. As a result, Munroe said the food bank is heavily reliant on community donations. More bins were set up across Minden last fall, which has helped keep non-perishables stocked – with 8,710 pounds collected so far this year. Proteins and produce are more limited, though Monroe said some businesses, like Coneybeare’s Butcher Shop, have established programs where people can purchase things at cost, which is then donated. “We’re getting lots of ground beef, which has been amazing,” Munroe said. She’s also looking forward to the community garden at the fairgrounds reopening, which also helps. Surging demand Last year, CFN saw 4,128 visits to its food banks in Cardiff and Wilberforce, averaging 343 stops per month. Those numbers have increased slightly in early 2025, with CFN seeing 336 visits in January and 361 in February. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, Jackson estimates the operation is serving an additional 57 people – or 100 extra monthly visits. The Wilberforce food bank assisted 25 more households this January compared to last, with an additional 19 in February. In Cardiff, five new households were welcomed in January and seven in February. CFN also distributed over 900 frozen meals to people in January and February through its Community Cooks program. “Poverty in Canada is spiraling out of control. In the last five years, visits to Canadian food banks have almost doubled,” Jackson said. In 2023, CFN was able to buy a cargo van, which Jackson said has allowed the local food banks to access reserves from bigger facilities in Belleville, Peterborough, and Lindsay. Last year, that brought 235,299 pounds of food valued at approximately $750,000 to the County. That’s brought the facility’s monthly food spend way down, with Jackson saying CFN spent $2,200 in January. Before, she said they would have spent “considerably more.” While she didn’t have numbers, Judy MacDuff, who runs the 4Cs Food Bank in Haliburton, said demand has been “a lot higher” through the first quarter of the year. She registered four new clients in a single day April 17. In 2024, the site registered 2,213 visits, assisting 2,726 adults and 1,109 children, which MacDuff said was up from 2023. “We need to see food prices come down and incomes go up… if it wasn’t for the Lily Ann, we wouldn’t be able to operate [at current levels]. It pays for our rent, heat, hydro and other things we need,” MacDuff said. “Donations [to the food bank] go directly to purchase food.” Jump in MCFC and CFN are partnering again this year for Jump in the Lake, scheduled for May 17. The annual event challenges people to get pledges before jumping in a local waterbody on the day. It raised $11,500 last year, with Jackson hoping to eclipse that total this time around. As of press time, MCFC has 12 people registered, raising $2,000, with CFN at nine participants and $1,950 raised. This will be the first time Jump in the Lake doesn’t run alongside the same-named Coboconk initiative, which happens May 3. Munroe said this was done to try and encourage more cottagers to get involved. There will also be prizes for top individual fundraisers, Jackson noted. Munroe said she’ll be taking a dip in the Gull River this year, with Jackson diving into Halls Lake. “We want this to be fun – something people can have a little competition with. Our organizations are facing lots of challenges and struggles right now. So get together, talk to your neighbours, form a team and help make a positive impact in our community,” Jackson said. Comments are closed.
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