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“Behind the Scenes at a Food Bank”
Presented by Keith Walden

Food bank usage in Canada has reached unprecedented levels in recent years. In March 2024, there were over 2 million visits to food banks across the country—the highest number in history. This represents a 6% increase compared to 2023 and a staggering 90% increase since 2019. foodbankscanada.ca

A significant portion of food bank clients are children. According to Food Banks Canada's HungerCount 2023 report, one-third of food bank users are children. globalnews.ca

These statistics highlight the growing issue of food insecurity in Canada and underscore the critical role that food banks play in supporting vulnerable populations.

Our speaker today is Keith Walden. Keith was a member of the History Department at Trent University for close to four decades. He has volunteered at the Avenue Road Food Bank for the last four and a half years, serving as leader of the morning team for the last three. HAT has invited him to speak today to give us a clear idea of the role of his food bank in our modern metropolis, how it operates and what are the challenges.

Keith will start by providing a visual tour of the food bank before moving on to a description of the history and operations - where does the food come from, who are the volunteers and who are the guests. Finally, Keith will focus on some of the main problems the food bank is grappling with and his experiences as a volunteer.

Please join us for a Behind the Scenes look at an often overlooked and misunderstood component of our social safety net - the Food Bank.