We’re working to strengthen the provincial food bank network as more people and families need to turn to food banks for help in every region of Ontario. This means more than keeping food bank shelves stocked—it means making distribution more efficient and wider-reaching on a system level. That’s why we recently supported the expansion of the Cochrane Regional Food Bank, an incredible new project that will help food banks better serve northern areas of the province.
Before the expansion, as a regional hub, Cochrane Food Bank was already receiving and delivering food to several food banks in their region in municipalities like Timmins and Kapuskasing, providing essential supports to people in need in the area.
A necessary expansion to meet rising demand
But the need for food banks across the North has been rising, with a 54% growth in people seeking support in the past five years alone. To meet the increasing needs, Cochrane Food Bank had to be able to receive and distribute more food across greater distances. Their existing building and resources were being stretched past their limits as they did everything they could to be there for those in their community and beyond.
Alongside Food Banks Canada, Feed Ontario provided funding to expand the food bank’s warehouse facilities, install more shelving, and acquire pallet jacks, dollies, and other equipment to handle large volumes of food safely and efficiently. The project will help Cochrane increase service to their network and provide deliveries of food to more distant and previously unserved locations.
A community coming together
During construction, the entire community came together and got involved to help make the project a reality and give the new initiative a head start. The business that created the blueprints for the new warehouse completely waived their fee, and the concrete-pouring company provided their services at a large discount, saving the food bank over $35,000.
Other businesses and organizations in the area also got involved in innovative ways. A local grocer donated previous signage that was able to be repurposed for use in the food bank. This helps the food bank feel more like a grocery store, which can make the space feel more comfortable and accessible for those visiting.
The local Knights of Columbus held a fundraiser that covered the cost for an additional large freezer, which means the food bank will be able to store more nutrient-rich frozen proteins and produce.
The project also created construction jobs in Cochrane. Food bank visitors who were struggling to find employment were able to get positions on the construction team, helping to address one of the root causes of hunger in the area.
Feed Ontario attended the opening of Cochrane Food Bank’s new warehouse in January.
An incredible impact
The investment and support for this expansion means the Cochrane Food Bank will be able to support more food banks at greater distances from their location. 13 hunger-relief organizations and 4 First Nations will now be supported by the Cochrane Food Bank, growing Feed Ontario’s network to reach even more areas of the province.
In the North, one of the key challenges food banks face is access. Smaller local food banks can be a several hour drive away from their closest distribution hub. Because of both the new warehouse and our ongoing support for fuel costs, Cochrane Regional Food Bank will be able to get more food to more distant, previously unserved locations, for example to ice-road access communities along James Bay, like Moosonee.
A core part of our work is making sure food banks can meet the unique needs in their community, and by providing funding and food to strengthen Cochrane Regional Food Bank’s capacity through this project, we’ve been able to make food more accessible to people and families facing hunger in the North.
Find out more about how Feed Ontario is strengthening food banks, supporting communities, and working to end hunger, or consider supporting our efforts to keep food bank shelves stocked while working to address the root causes of poverty for the future.