Program serving thousands experiencing food insecurity reaches major milestone

The Sharing Place Food Centre in Orillia is slated to produce its 200,000 meal as part of its Meals 4 Change program.

The Sharing Place Food Centre in Orillia is marking a milestone as its Meals-4-Change program packs its 200,000th meal for people facing food insecurity.

“It’s huge,” said Kelley Allen, the food centre’s development manager. “And we’ve done 100,000 of those just under that in 2024 alone.”

The program provides free, nutritious meals to 10 local agencies, which distribute them to those in need throughout the city and surrounding area.

Volunteers dedicate several days each week to prepare, cook, and package the meals.

"Knowing we are here to help is amazing," said volunteer Rhoda Balente.

Like many food banks across the country, The Sharing Place has reported a sharp rise in demand. The Meals-4-Change program supports 2,000 people every week.

“The number continues to grow,” said kitchen manager Nancy Hannah. “Two thousands meals a week sounds like a large numbers, but we are just meeting that need.”

The majority of the food used to make the meals comes from local grocery store donations.

Food insecurity is rising right across the region, with demand at the Barrie Food Bank doubling in the past two years, and with the possibility of new tariffs on food next month, food banks could face even more challenges.

“It’s frightening on two levels,” said Karen Shuh, executive director of the Barrie Food Bank. “One is obviously less money in pockets for people, so potentially more visits to the food bank, but also for the fact that our purchasing power has eroded, so we are purchasing less for the same amount of money.”

The Sharing Place is always looking for more volunteers. To volunteer your time, contact the staff at the Orillia food bank.