The Sharing Place Food Centre has a diverse set of programs that connect our community to food. We strive to create programs that provide equitable access to nutritious food and educational moments that create opportunity for our members.

Food Bank

The Food Bank at The Sharing Place provides members with a six-day supply of food, 14 times a year. We are always looking at ways to increase the amount of fresh, healthy food we have on hand, and we do our best to accommodate dietary and cultural requests. The quality of food is a top priority for our team, but so is the service we provide and the welcoming environment that we create. The volunteers who help run our Food Bank are a compassionate, dedicated group who work together on a daily basis to reduce hunger in Orillia and area.

  • 2,100 people visit the Food Bank each month
  • 31% of our members are children
  • 732,636 lbs. of food donated in 2023
  • 18,195 volunteer hours
  • 36% increase in new members in 2023

School Fuel

Food insecurity has a serious impact on a child’s ability to learn. When children go to school hungry, their energy, concentration, creativity and behaviour are all affected. School breakfast programs are vital to the health and education of many students in our community. During the pandemic, school breakfast programs were significantly limited. The Sharing Place responded by developing a new program called School Fuel. We now safely deliver healthy food to more than 4200 children in 23 local schools every day. When schools are closed and throughout the summer, we work with school staff and local agencies to provide healthy snack bags for children and youth in the Orillia area.

  • Healthy breakfast foods for over 4200 children in 23 local schools
    every day (when schools are open)
  • 400 snack bags a week to local agencies when schools are closed
  • 400 snack bags distributed a month to kids under 18 out of our
    Food Bank program

Meals-4-Change

Meals-4-Change is an innovative program that produces healthy, ready-to-eat meals utilizing the food we
recover. The program allows us to produce meals at a fraction of the cost of store-bought dinners. We use
kitchens in Orillia to cook more than 1,600 nutritious meals a week. The meals are distributed to our members
and to local agencies.

  • 1,600 meals a week
  • 150 meals a week distributed to community partners
  • Average cost per meal is under $1

Advocacy

The Sharing Place advocates to improve food security through food education programs and community partnerships. As part of our mission to build a stronger and healthier community, we are committed to advancing policy solutions to end poverty and food insecurity. Here are some of the organizations we work with:

  • Simcoe County Food Council 
  • Orillia Food Committee 
  • Eat Well To Excel oversees the Simcoe County’s School Nutrition programs 
  • SCATEH 
  • SDOH Working Group with the Couchiching Ontario Health Team 

Food Recovery

The Sharing Place partners with local farmers, grocery stores, and food service providers to recover surplus food that would usually go to waste. We collect and store this food in a responsible way, allowing us to distribute it to our members and to open our doors to neighbouring organizations.

  • 550,491 lbs of fresh, healthy food recovered
    from grocery stores and farms in 2023
  • 49,150 lbs. diverted from waste to local farmers
  • 12+ community partners access food from
    this program