Demand for help at Northumberland Fare Share Food Banks ‘has never been higher’
By reporter Natalie Hamilton
More residents in Port Hope and Cobourg will be able to include fresh chicken in their meal plans and ultimately on their dinner tables following a grant received by Northumberland Fare Share Food Banks (NFSFB).
NFSFB, which operates a location in Port Hope and Cobourg and serves residents of Northumberland County, recently announced it is a recipient of the Chicken Farmers of Ontario’s (CFO) food bank donation program called CFO Cares.
NFSFB, along with officials from CFO, Feed Ontario, and Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini, recently gathered at 700 D’Arcy St. in Cobourg to recognize the donation of 1,200 kilograms of local chicken.
“Receiving 1,200 kilograms of Ontario-farmed chicken equates to about 11,000 meals for local residents using our services,” Meghan Flindall, NFSFB executive director, told the Independent.
“The impact of that is profound, especially as Maple Leaf packages it for ease of distribution at Ontario food banks. Nutritious proteins like chicken are one of the most in-demand menu items we offer,” said Flindall.
The CFO’s “CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks” donation program aims to ensure that family-farmed, high-quality Ontario chicken gets on to the plates of those who need it most, according to a recent press release.
Launched in 2015, the partnership between CFO and Feed Ontario provides chicken farmers across the province with the opportunity to donate up to 300 chickens each year to help ensure food bank fridges remain stocked. The program delivers more than one million fresh-chicken meals to community food banks each year in Ontario.
“We were elated to be a recipient of this program,” said Flindall. “It’s really difficult for food banks to procure fresh and frozen protein donations as they aren’t an item we can accept from the general public due to temperature controls.
“As such, we often rely on purchasing items like chicken in order to distribute them at our food banks. Having a program in place like CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks works within our food safe systems and eases some financial burden.”
Demands for Fare Share’s services continue to rise annually with 1,043 new individuals accessing services in 2025. Households facing food insecurity “often make tough decisions” about which foods they can afford to purchase, and which items get left behind, which can include proteins like chicken, noted NFSFB.
“We’ve been operating food banks in both Cobourg and Port Hope for 40 years this June and the demand for our services has never been higher,” shared Flindall. “The trends we are seeing here are very comparable to what is being reported across Canada right now. Demand doubled post-pandemic and (has) continued to rise significantly every year since then.
“Where we see the biggest impact from the rising food and fuel costs is with new individuals accessing our services for the very first time, many who are employed, but can’t stretch their paycheques any further to adjust for these rapidly climbing costs,” she explained.
NFSFB said the donation helps Fare Share support its mission of alleviating hunger within Northumberland. Flindall hopes the grant will also raise awareness about the state of food insecurity and inspire action.
September is also Hunger Action Month across Canada.
“I am hopeful that seeing a recognition event like this happening in our community inspires future partnerships with industry leaders and local farmers. People are often surprised to find out that food banks aren’t government-funded agencies, beyond applying for municipal community grant support, and are completely reliant on community donations and grant funding,” explained Flindall.
“With that in mind, creating partnerships like this one between farmers and food banks is vital for ensuring we can remain a sustainable resource for our community as we think ahead to our next 40 years.”
For more information about Fare Share and how to support its food banks, visit www.fareshare.ca. People looking to support food purchases for Fare Share food banks can make a donation by e-transfer to donations@fareshare.ca or online at Canada Helps.
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