The Perth and District Food Bank is a non-profit, community-run agency.

We help families in our community by providing a three day emergency supply of food so that they do not go hungry.

Mainly with financial assistance and donations of food and services from our community.

The Food Bank is run by a volunteer Board of Directors with one part time staff person and a team of 45 volunteers handling the day-to-day operations. We keep our overhead low and make the best use of every dollar donated.

People who come to the Food Bank are welcomed and treated as neighbours. We know that it is not easy to ask for help.

Our neighbours, our friends, our workers:

• The injured worker waiting for a ruling on his Worker’s Comp. claim
• The single mom with a part time job and no benefits and an unexpected dental bill
• The single person on social assistance taking a job placement course and needing school supplies
• The post secondary student awaiting a student loan payment
• The disabled person struggling to acquire life skills like money management and grocery shopping
• The parents getting kids ready for winter and finding out that the month has more days than the cupboard has food
• The temporarily laid off worker waiting for a final pay cheque
• The Food Bank volunteer, working at the Food Bank while searching for paid work.

The Food Bank serves an average of 160 families each month. 40% of Food Bank clients are children . This number has grown every year.  Residents of our community need our services for many reasons: job loss; health crisis, family breakdown, low wages/no benefits; disability, and other emergencies.

The Food Bank serves the communities of Perth, Tay Valley, Drummond/North Elmsley and parts of Lanark Highlands.

People in need can visit the Food Bank once a month to receive a 3 day supply of food for their family.

The Cost of Hunger:

Families living on the margins often have to pay their rent and utilities, car payments and medical expenses first, leaving the food budget short. In a rural area, access to a vehicle is paramount for work and safety reasons. Food is not just important, it is essential. Nutritious food is vital for the development of a healthy community. We know that hungry children struggle in school; we know that sick and injured people do not heal as well without a nutritious diet; we know that hungry people are more likely to face struggles at work and home; we know that a healthy diet is essential in pre-natal care; we know that seniors need a healthy diet to continue to live an active life in their community.

We know all these things. We also know that Food Banks continue to serve more and more families across Ontario.

The rising price of gas and oil and the rise in food prices will affect us all but in particular they will present challenges to families living on fixed and low incomes. We expect the number and needs of our clients will continue to rise.