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Fresh Produce at Our Clarington Food Bank: A Harvest Thank-You

Fresh Produce at Our Clarington Food Bank: A Harvest Thank-You

This Thanksgiving, families across Newcastle, Orono, Newtonville, Kendal and Kirby will sit down to plates full of local food. Crisp apples. Sweet corn. Roasted squash and potatoes grown just down the road. That didn’t happen by chance. It happened because local farmers and gardeners chose to share their harvest with their neighbours. Fresh produce is one of the hardest things to keep on our shelves at Clarington East Food Bank. It’s also one of the most important. So this Thanksgiving,…

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We are stronger together, nourishing one neighbour at a time!
We Stopped Waiting for Politicians to Notice Us. So We Invited Them In.

We Stopped Waiting for Politicians to Notice Us. So We Invited Them In.

Here’s something we don’t say enough out loud: food banks were never supposed to be permanent. They started as a stopgap. A bridge. A “just until things turn around” kind of solution. Forty years later, they’re not a bridge anymore, they’re infrastructure. And this year, Feed Ontario confirmed what we already see every week at our door: more than 1 million Ontarians turned to a food bank for help, and 1 in 4 of them are employed. Not unemployed. Not…

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A Food Bank That Feels Like a Grocery Store

A Food Bank That Feels Like a Grocery Store

        On Sat. Sept. 20, we opened the doors of Clarington East Food Bank to our board, community partners, and local elected officials, including MP Jivini, Mayor Foster and Councilors Woo and Zwart as well as all current municipal candidates. We wanted to show them what a food bank can look like when it’s built around dignity. A look behind the scenes Our guests toured the warehouse and saw how our inventory system works. They followed the…

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Forty Dollars Left, and Two Pairs of Shoes to Buy

Forty Dollars Left, and Two Pairs of Shoes to Buy

Picture this: It’s the last week of August. Payday came and went. After rent, groceries, and bills, you have forty dollars left until the next cheque. And your child needs indoor shoes. And outdoor shoes. And a lunch bag. And a backpack, because last year’s has a broken zipper and doesn’t quite fit anymore. Forty dollars. That’s the reality many families in Clarington East are facing right now, and it’s exactly why our Back to School program exists. More Than…

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The Two Faces of August

The Two Faces of August

August is one of my favourite months at the food bank, and one of the hardest. Both things are true at the same time, and most years I still don’t know what to do with that. Here’s the favourite part first. August is harvest season, and our produce shelves are about as full and beautiful as they ever get. Wilmot Orchards, Gibson Farms, and Kent Farms keep us stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, and community gardens like the Wilmot…

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