Arthur food bank reports swelling needs, costs; shrinking donations

ARTHUR – Filling the pantry is a challenge for a growing number of families here. 

Arthur Food Bank president Shawna Lougheed attended a Wellington North council meeting on June 22, along with most of the food bank’s board of directors, to provide an update.

So far this year, 96 families have visited the food bank, Lougheed told council. That’s 137 adults and 91 children. In an average month, 73 families (168 people) have accessed the food bank. 

That compares to an average of 62 families (128 people) over the same months in 2025, and 54 families (128 people) in 2024. That’s a 34 per cent increase in families over the last two years. 

The food bank’s grocery costs are growing too; it spent $28,206 on food in the first four months of 2026, compared to $21,785 during the same period in 2025 and $18,577 in 2024. That’s a 52% increase over two years. 

“It just keeps going up and up,” Lougheed said. 

As well as collecting donations, the food bank buys food and hygiene items from Arthur’s Foodland, Guelph’s The Seed, Arthur’s Walsh’s IDA Pharmacy and Parker Meats between Arthur, Drayton and Alma. 

Lougheed said the suppliers give the food bank good deals.

It’s funded primarily by local churches, businesses and individuals, she said, as well as a township grant, food drives at schools and businesses, and events such as a car show that took place in Arthur in September 2025 and 2024, for which each sponsor made “a very large donation to the Arthur Food Bank,” Lougheed said. 

From 2024 to 2025, Lougheed said donations to the food bank decreased by 26%. Donations do seem to be growing this year, by 6% compared with this time last year. But that’s still a 21% decrease since 2024, Lougheed noted. 

The number of volunteers has increased by over 200% in the last year, growing from 16 early last year to 48 current volunteers, including the seven board members. 

“When we opened the new and improved food bank in Arthur (after renovations last year) we switched to a shopping model, so we needed more volunteers per shift,” Lougheed said. 

Hours also increased after the renos – “We were only open every Tuesday from 10am to 12pm and once a month from 6 to 8pm,” she said.  

Now, the food bank is open for clients from 10am to 12pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and from 6 to 8pm Thursdays. It’s also open Tuesdays from 8:30am to 4pm for administration and deliveries.

Increasing hours was necessary, Lougheed said, to keep up with the increased need. 

Lougheed said representatives from local food banks including Arthur, Mount Forest, Centre Wellington, Orangeville, Grand Valley, Clifford, Drayton and Palmerston, meet up every couple months to “share tips and tricks and tools.” 

The food banks have been collaborating on a boundary map, to add clarity about which food bank rural residents should attend. 

“When people come in to register for the food bank we ask them ... to prove that they live where they live and make sure they are in our district, because if not we would then send them to wherever they were supposed to go,” she said. 

Councillor Steve McCabe said, “It’s a shame we need stuff like this in our communities but I’m glad there’s people like you who do this and volunteer your time and your energy, so thank you.” 

Mayor Andy Lennox added, “I think we all wish this wasn’t a need in our community, but we’re grateful that you’re trying to fill it.” 

Councillors Sherry Burke and Penny Renken also thanked Lougheed and asked if the food bank receives fresh produce from local community gardens and farms. 

Lougheed said it receives weekly deliveries of fruits and vegetables from the Mount Forest Community Garden and “local farmers will just call and bring stuff in,” including eggs and chicken.