Centre Wellington Food bank expanding services thanks to large donation
FERGUS – The Centre Wellington Food Bank will be expanding its services thanks to a generous donation by the Balsillie Family Foundation.
The funding, a total of $4.5 million, was announced on Sept. 22 at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region and will be divided between food banks in Centre Wellington, Cambridge, Guelph and Waterloo Region.
“This investment will help us launch Well Fed Wellington, a new initiative designed to create more equitable access to healthy food throughout Wellington County,” said Curt McQueen, executive director of the Centre Wellington Food Bank.
“It gives us the opportunity to strengthen local partnerships, expand community-based food access and ensure people can access nutritious food in ways that are affordable, accessible and dignified.”
Well Fed Wellington will see the Centre Wellington Food Bank take on a county-wide approach to food insecurity and work to build on existing organizations, spaces and programs while exploring new opportunities where gaps exist.
“This could include affordable produce markets, sharing shelves, community meals, food procurement and distribution, and support for community organizations,” reads a statemnt from the Centre Wellington Food Bank.
According to McQueen, approximately one in four households in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph experienced food insecurity in 2024 and only around one in five of those households had accessed a food bank.
“Today, there are limited options between conventional grocery stores and emergency food support,” states the four food banks’ shared press release.
“And because community food access has developed as a patchwork rather than a coordinated system, there is no single organization or level of government responsible for ensuring equitable and accessible food options.”
McQueen says the first community-based initiatives are anticipated to launch in spring 2027.
“We are currently having conversations about the best places to begin rolling out these initiatives across the county and will have a clearer picture in the coming months,” he said.
