Amid rising demands, the Dryden Food Bank in northwestern Ontario seeks support to expand

More than 600 people accessed the Dryden Food Bank last month, which Al Huckabay says speaks to the growing need to expand the facility in order to keep up with demands.

Fewer than 7,400 live in the northwestern Ontario city. However, its food bank serves a number of surrounding communities and First Nations.

"The demand has been steadily on the increase, and especially now with the economic situation within the country," said Huckabay, manager of the Dryden Food Bank.

"We're finding because of the cost of food, what we're able to purchase with our dollars is becoming less."

The food bank has entered the second phase of Project Hope, a $1.5-million plan to relocate from 62 Queen St. to 158 Grand Trunk Ave. and renovate the building to create more space.

Its immediate goals are to increase the food bank's capacity to accept and distribute food, improve operational efficiency, and enhance safe food handling practices, Huckabay said.

Looking further ahead, the organization has three key aspirations:

• Improving strategies to address poverty in Dryden.
• Expanding its local community partnerships, including with the Kenora District Services Board, Northwestern Health Unit and Dryden Regional Health Centre.
• Working with the Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA) to create a satellite hub in Dryden for food distribution.

"We see ourselves really partnering with community groups that are perhaps doing service in the community that we're not offering — but if it is connected with food, we want to be there and help them out in that way," said Huckabay.

Part of its long-term vision is to become a community hub, similar to Roots Community Food Centre in Thunder Bay, which offers food as well as a number of workshops and programming activities, he explained.

"That is really a true, great description of what we want to become in this area," Huckabay said.

Promoting healthier lifestyles

About one in four households in the Northwestern Health Unit's catchment area face food insecurity due to financial constraints, according to the 2024 Real Cost of Eating Well in Northwestern Ontario report.

A family of four spends more than $1,500 a month on groceries, the report says, a seven per cent increase from 2023.

Education on healthy eating is another big part of what the Dryden Food Bank hopes to do, through installing a community kitchen. 

"We want to be able to teach [clients] and show them, in working with other groups and agencies in town, how to take food and have healthier lifestyles," Huckabay said.

The renovations are hoped to begin in August, but the food bank still has a lot of fundraising to do. While the bulk of the project is to be covered by government grants, it's still looking to raise at least $915,000. 

The organization is planning a fundraising event at the end of May to help build momentum, Huckabay said.

Despite the rising cost of living, Huckabay said the community has continued to show its support.

"[We are] very thankful for the way in which the community of Dryden and the businesses and retail stores have really come alongside us and helped us out, to make sure that we've got the food on our shelves to be able to give to people," he said.

The Dryden Food Bank is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Hampers can be booked between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. by calling 807-223-3881, with pickup between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.