The City of Oshawa is teaming up with Durham Region municipalities to collect food and money for people facing hunger this September. The annual Hunger Action Month drive runs from September 9 to October 5, and residents can drop off non-perishable food at 12 locations across Oshawa or donate online.
Donation bins will be set up at Oshawa City Hall, four city recreation centres, six fire stations, and the OSCC55+ John Street Branch. The collected donations go to Feed the Need in Durham, which runs a network of 70 community food programs in the region.
The need is growing. In the past year, over 880,000 visits were made to food programs in the region, a 27.9% increase from the previous year, according to the City of Oshawa. One in four Durham households now identifies as being food insecure, and food bank visits have surged by more than 250% since 2020.
Every dollar donated can provide two meals because Feed the Need in Durham buys food in bulk. Residents can make financial donations online through the city’s website.
The campaign is a partnership with Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Pickering, Scugog, Uxbridge, Whitby, and the Region of Durham. It aims to raise awareness about food insecurity and ensure local food banks have enough supplies heading into the fall and winter months.
