One of RLB’s core values is to give back to our communities that have supported us throughout the years. As much of the world moves on from pandemic life, many families in our communities are still struggling with food insecurity and the increased cost of feeding our families. With these ongoing challenges facing our friends and neighbours, we wanted to find a way to bridge the gap.
In previous years, RLB has used the holiday season to give back by supporting education programs, toy drives and various other initiatives. This year our organization continues to focus on supporting local foodbanks so they can continue their valuable services. In 2022 we will be supporting The Shephard’s Cupboard in Shelburne, Orangeville Foodbank, Guelph Foodbank, Centre Wellington Foodbank and The Foodbank of Waterloo Region.
The Shephard’s Cupboard Food Bank- 167 Centre St Shelburne, ON
The Shephard’s Cupboard Food Bank supports nearly 300 clients a month including over 1000 individuals. The majority of community members they serve are seniors (at 21%) and children (38%). For seniors in the community who are unable to visit the foodbank themselves, volunteers will make monthly deliveries to their homes to ensure they have access to nutritious food on a consistent basis. The organization is run entirely by volunteers and has been since its inception in 1990.
Orangeville Foodbank- 3 Commerce Rd, Orangeville, ON
Supporting 4195 unique individuals in 2022 alone, the Orangeville Foodbank survives on the kindness of the community. In the past year, the Orangeville Foodbank received 334,442 lbs of donated food in addition to the monetary funding they have collected. The money they receive helps the team to fill any gaps in food supplies, and provide fresh items such as dairy, produce and meats. Like many regions, Orangeville Foodbank has been faced with an influx of supported individuals, seeing an increase of 91% over the past 5 years.
Guelph Foodbank- 100 Crimea St, Guelph, ON
Guelph Foodbank’s commitment to the community goes beyond filling cupboards with much-needed items. They offer programs to offer a hand up to those in need, such as job & placement programs, budget, debt and credit counselling, and clothing exchange programs, just to name a few.
Centre Wellington Foodbank- 105 Queen Street West, Unit 12 Fergus, ON
A major component for Centre Wellington Foodbank is planning for the future. They are working to build a state-of-the-art Kitchen to serve our community at large. This will accommodate a range of different user groups and allow them to offer classes and training in meal preparation and prepare nutritious homemade meals that can be vacuum sealed and frozen for later consumption.
The Foodbank of Waterloo Region- 50 Alpine Ct, Kitchener, ON
An incredible 4,258,511 pounds of fresh, frozen, non-perishable and non-food items were sorted by volunteers in 2022. These items were carefully packaged up and distributed to the 40,530 unique individuals who were supported by this foodbank. Beyond feeding the community, The Foodbank of Waterloo Region expanded their Mobile Pantry program and is further committed to tackling food insecurity in our community.
