Cambridge Food Bank looking for donations of fresh fruits and vegetables

September is a stressful month for many families across Waterloo Region and residents can help fill the plates of those families by donating fresh produce from their garden to the Cambridge Food Bank.

According to the Cambridge Food Bank, one in 20 households in Waterloo Region struggle to put food on the table.

The organization is looking for donations of fresh produce, and say it’ll even come out and help people glean their freshly grown garden to give back.

Amy Slack, the Director of Operations at the Cambridge Food Bank, says although most people associate food banks with non perishable items, they thrive on offering a balanced diet that includes fresh food.

“We’re not just here to feed people, we’re here to fill them,” she said. “We want to fill them with nourishment, and we want to fill them with healthy foods. It’s that produce that makes people feel good.”

Nearly 3,000 youth 18 years old or younger have used the food bank so far this year, and those figures are 30 per cent higher than they were last year.

“The price of produce increased 8 per cent last year, its gone up 3 per cent this year, it seems to be one of those items that when you’re going out getting the necessities in your home, often times you cant go out and get that zucchini or those tomatoes,” said Slack. “Things that grow right here in Ontario gardens.”

In total, the Food Bank has served food to people in need in Cambridge and North Dumfries more than 30,000 so far in 2024.

People can drop off any fresh produce, either harvested or bought at the store, at at 54 Ainslie St. S.