You might not know this, but food banks give more than food to their communities. In addition to the millions of pounds of fresh, frozen, and nonperishable food our network provides each year, food banks also offer vital services that can support people’s wellness, provide skill-building opportunities, and bring a sense of belonging to those going through a difficult time. Though not every program is offered by all food banks, each local food bank offers unique services, tailored to the needs in their area.
Here are just 12 of the ways our network helps people by providing even more than food.
Foundational Supports
A job board at a food bank in our network.
Many food banks offer services focused on alleviating the reasons someone might be turning to a food bank in the first place, supporting people as they get back on their feet.
1. Employment Services
If a person needs assistance with job skills training, searching for work, clothes for an interview, or employment counselling, food banks often have programs that can assist and help them build new skills.
The Leadership in Logistic program at Banque alimentaire North York Harvest, is just one great example. This program provides the opportunity to gain work experience in the food bank warehouse through a paid training program that can lead to permanent employment.
2. Housing and Utility Subsidies
When someone’s income doesn’t cover their basic expenses, worrying about keeping a roof over their head or keeping the heat on in the winter can often be very distressing.
Programs like UHC – Hub of Opportunities’ Keep the Heat Program provides families with funds to help pay their energy bill. Programs like these can provide relief for large expenses to help people and families get back on their feet.
3. Tax Clinics
Barriers to filing income taxes often prevent people from accessing benefits they may be entitled to, like the Ontario Trillium Benefit.
Many food banks host tax clinics, like Banques alimentaires Mississauga, whose annual Tax Clinics ensure that everyone has support in filing their taxes and accessing their returns and tax benefits.
Sustaining Wellness
A free community yoga class taking place at Cambridge Food Bank.
Facing poverty and food insecurity can lead to mental health challenges and heightened stress. To help those who might not have access to other resources for support, food banks in our network offer spaces where visitors can move their bodies, relieve stress, and connect with others.
4. Yoga and fitness classes
Free yoga and fitness classes like the programs offered at the Cambridge Food Bank are just one example of this type of program, allowing their community an opportunity to take part in healthy, mindful activity.
5. Cooking workshops
In addition to learning new skills, workshops can provide an opportunity for people to connect with others.
The Table Community Food Centre offers cooking workshops that utilize foods distributed by the food bank along with printed recipes. Sometimes they are even able to send participants home with new equipment like crockpots to use at home when the class is over.
6. Financial Literacy Classes
Living on a tight budget can be extremely challenging. That’s why food banks like Neighbour to Neighbour Centre, an affiliate of our member Partage de nourriture à Hamilton, offer financial literacy classes. Food banks can help with budgeting skills and other tips to help make informed financial choices by offering financial literacy classes so food bank visitors have the tools they need to make budgets and manage their personal finances.
Cultivating belonging
Le Simcoe Salvation Army Food Bank runs a program at Christmas that provides toys so parents struggling to get by can give their children a gift.
Food banks have come up with innovative solutions to help families have chances to be social and celebrate special occasions even when struggling to make ends meet.
7. Birthday Clubs
Many food banks in our network, like Renfrew District Food Bank, offer the opportunity for children of all ages to have a special birthday. Often, parents will have the chance to select a gift for their child, and receive cake mix, icing, and some party decorations.
8. Holiday Programs
Food banks are also able to provide special offerings during the holiday season, so that families in need can still celebrate. For example, at Banque alimentaire de Guelph, registered households are given a hamper with supplies for a holiday dinner along with gifts for the family so they can gather around a warm and joyful meal together.
9. Back to School Programs
For kids, back-to-school should be an exciting time of year. The fun of seeing friends and starting new classes shouldn’t be dampened by worrying that they might not have the supplies they need to learn and to fit in. Back to School Backpack programs, like the one at Community Resource Service, provide kids with a backpack filled with school supplies like pencils, crayons, notebooks, and duo tangs.
10. New Parent Programs
Some food banks, like Stratford House of Blessing Food Bank, offer baskets for new parents with baby clothes, a book, a toy, and baby hygiene products. Sometimes these will include baby blankets hand knit by caring community members so that new babies have a warm welcome into the world.
Innovative Operations
A greenhouse run by Killaloe Food Bank.
Food banks are always looking for ways to bring even more healthy, fresh food to the tables of those in need, and they’ve developed creative solutions to increase the resources available to them.
11. Community Gardens
The gardens cultivated by food banks not only grow fresh produce for their visitors, but can also offer plots for those in the community that do not have space to grow their own food.
One exciting project, funded by a Feeding Possibility grant, is the fruit forest planted by the Bruce Peninsula Food Bank. Seniors and elementary students in the community planned the plot and planted fruit trees in the unused space next to the food bank’s robust community garden. These initiatives improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables and offer community members a chance to connect with where their food comes from and spend time outside.
12. Thrift stores
Social enterprises like gift wrapping during the holidays ou selling homemade jam at farmers markets, help food banks provide additional sources of revenue to fund their operations. Thrift shops like the one at Agape Centre, allow food banks to generate revenue to fund their operations, and also provide coupons to food bank visitors that need to replace clothing and other essential items but can’t afford to.
Food banks support their communities with even more than food
In communities all across Ontario, food banks are working hard to provide vital services that can improve the immediate concerns, health, and wellbeing of the visitors that cross their thresholds.
Now, as food banks across the province face unprecedented need for their services, it’s more important than ever to support the essential work they do. To learn more about the programs and unique supports the food bank in your area offers, check out our Trouver une banque alimentaire l'outil.
You can get involved in Feed Ontario’s work to help us strengthen our network by donating today, or by signing up for our newsletter to hear the latest updates on the work food banks are doing.