Food bank campaigns aim to support growing demand
Foodbanks across the region are anticipating a big decline in donations as the summer season approaches. With no reduction of those in need - it's a tricky time of the year, especially for clients of the food bank who call it a lifeline at times.
'It helps families in need because of how expensive everything - inflation is crazy,' said Barrie resident Wendy Butler-Henderson. 'I find the food bank really helps people that need it.'
Staff and volunteers at the Barrie Food Bank are hard at work wrapping up the Spring Forward Give Back campaign that launched last month and aimed to collect 100,000 pounds of food items and raise $250,000.
Bell Media's Feeding Families Food Drive helped collect 21,000 pounds of non-perishable food for the campaign that ended today.
Karen Shuh is the executive director of the food bank and said they see an annual increase of 12 per cent year-over-year.
'Just over 7,000 individuals - we are up over 10 per cent in March over February and we saw a lot of extra clients coming though because of the ice storm... having lost everything in their fridges and freezers,' Shuh explained.
The situation is very similar at The Sharing Place in Orillia, which hands out seven days worth of food every month to more than 2,500 people. While financial donations are preferred, the food bank is quick to remind people even the smallest of donation can make a difference.
'Donating $25 or $5, every penny counts, but if I add up all the donations that are under $200 it's the biggest donor that we have,' said the Orillia food bank's executive director Chris Peacock. 'So all those donations matter. Some people feel like they are not making a difference by giving us $5 or $10 a month - that's a huge deal and we are greatly appreciative.'
School Fuel Month is coming to an end at The Sharing Place. Every dollar donated, up to $20,000, will be matched by the local Home Hardware. Donations will be accepted until midnight.
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CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Food bank faces record demand and donation decline as summer pressures mount
FILE - In this 2018 photo, kids eat lunch at an elementary school. (Ellen O'Nan/The Paducah Sun via AP) As the summer season begins, the Barrie Food Bank reports record-breaking demand for assistance at a time when donations are typically at their lowest. In May, donations to the food bank were down $13,000 compared to the same time last year, while client visits continue to rise. 'May brought 7,460 visits, a record high for us,' said Karen Shuh, executive director with the Barrie Food Bank. Shuh said the surge in demand includes a growing number of children and seniors. Last month, the food bank served nearly 2,600 children under 18 and more than 330 seniors - both new records. "We're seeing more and more people accessing our services due to job loss, reduced hours, rising rent, mortgage renewals and the general cost of living," the executive director added. Shuh highlighted that food insecurity can happen to anyone. 'Many are first-time visitors who never imagined needing a food bank, which is becoming a growing theme." With school now out, the food bank expects need to continue rising as many families will face additional expenses like daycare and summer camp. Recognizing the growing need to support children during the summer break, Food Banks Canada stepped in with support through its 'After the Bell' program - so for the first time, Shuh said Barrie would receive funding to provide nutritious, child-friendly food packs to local children in need. And Shuh said it couldn't have come at a better time. 'The summer months are historically lean for donations.'
Globe and Mail
11-06-2025
- Globe and Mail
Elbows (and bottoms) up: The down-low on the upfronts at Corus, Rogers, Bell Media and CBC
Elbows up – and bottoms up! I got to observe the loopy, lubricated world of the newly nationalistic Canadian television industry upfronts up close last week. For the uninitiated, upfronts are live or streamed presentations where big media conglomerates – Corus Entertainment, Rogers, CBC and Bell Media in this case – each take a turn trying to get marketing folks to buy commercial time 'up front' before a new season of shows. The nation's media buyers started a hunt for advertising opportunities on Monday morning over mimosas with Matlock at Corus's headquarters on the Toronto waterfront – and ended it on Thursday afternoon with the Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs hockey team from Shoresy inviting them to Bell Media's open bar at Meridian Hall. I kept to coffee and crudités and came away with the following takeaways. The nationalism of the moment was channelled in the most comically contradictory of manners at the Corus upfront. 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Cision Canada
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Bell Media to Make Strategic Investment in Blink49 Studios
– The two companies strike a production and distribution partnership on a slate of Blink49 projects – – The investment, made through Bell Ventures, is set to close this Fall – BANFF, AB, June 9, 2025 /CNW/ - Bell Media announced today that it is making a strategic investment in independent production company, Blink49 Studios. Based in Toronto, Vancouver, and Los Angeles, Blink49 is known for its robust production pipeline and partnership capabilities within Canada, U.S., and Europe. The investment, which sees Bell Media strike, alongside FIFTH SEASON, a production and global distribution partnership with Blink49, further enhances Blink49's capabilities as it continues to grow its slate of scripted and unscripted content. The deal is set to close this Fall. "This investment is another significant step in our continued efforts to enhance the reach of Canadian creatives and deliver impactful storytelling that resonates at home and abroad," said Sean Cohan, President, Bell Media. "John Morayniss and his team have a proven track record of bringing compelling content to the global market, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration with them." "We're incredibly proud of what we've built at Blink49 in just a few short years, and this strategic investment from Bell Media marks an exciting new chapter in our growth," said John Morayniss, CEO, Blink49 Studios. "Under Sean Cohan's leadership and with the support of the talented team at Bell Media who share our commitment to compelling and entertaining storytelling, we're well positioned to significantly expand our slate across both scripted and unscripted content, strengthen our reach in Canada and internationally, and continue building meaningful partnerships that bring bold, creative visions to life." Founded in the fall of 2021, Blink49 Studios is a world-class full-service indie studio focused on the development, production, and distribution of scripted and unscripted television and made-for-TV movies. Bell Media and Blink49 Studios have recently partnered on docuseries QUEEN OF THE CASTLE, and scripted series including DON'T EVEN, LATE BLOOMER, SIGHT UNSEEN, and THE TRADES in addition to two newly announced projects, the upcoming reality series BLUE COLLAR and scripted drama YAGA. Other series produced by Blink49 include drama series WILD CARDS and international reality series BEAST GAMES, among others. Bell Media joins global entertainment leader, FIFTH SEASON, in making a strategic investment in Blink49. Bell Media's investment is made through Bell Ventures which supports Canadian entrepreneurship, helping to drive innovation and accelerate growth for its partners. About Bell Media Bell Media is Canada's leading media and entertainment company with a portfolio of assets in premium video, audio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. This includes Canada's most-watched television network, CTV; the largest Canadian-owned video streamer, Crave, with a premium add-on to include STARZ; a powerful suite of specialty channels; the most-trusted news brand, CTV News; Canada's cross-platform sports leaders, TSN and RDS; leading out-of-home advertising network, Astral; Québec's fast-growing conventional French-language network, Noovo; the country's leading radio and podcast app, iHeartRadio Canada; and a range of award-winning original productions, brands, and services. As a content leader and partner in Sphere Media, Montréal's Grande Studios, and Dome Productions, one of North America's leading production facilities providers, Bell Media is committed to keeping Canadians entertained and informed. Bell Media also offers best-in-class technology, marketing, and analytics support through Bell Marketing Platform, an omnichannel self-serve platform which includes Bell Analytics, Strategic Audience Management (SAM), and Bell DSP, in addition to advanced advertising solutions, including Linear Addressable TV, Addressable Audio, and ads on Crave. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. 1 Learn more at 1 Based on total revenue and total combined customer connections.
