Food bank demand reaches “crisis” level

OFB reports one in four households in Ottawa experienced food insecurity in 2024

The excitement of the holidays may have subsided. But while many people bask in the glow of another festive season, a growing segment of the population continues to struggle just to put food on the table. 

Those on the front lines at the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre’s (RRCRC) Emergency Food Bank know all too well what so many are facing. While January may be a time of quiet reflection for some, there’s no time to rest at the food bank with demand for services at an all-time high. 

“The need is so dire right now in Ottawa,” says Gabrielle Davis, Communication and Fund Development Lead with RRCRC.  “We are seeing crisis, emergency levels that are only increasing.”

The statistics appear to bear that out. 

According to a recent RRCRC overview presentation, the emergency food bank — which includes Manor Park within its catchment area — assists an average of more than 1,450 community members every month. The latest verified statistic confirms the program served 1,581 residents in October, 2025 — a record high. 

“Over the past five years, we have seen roughly a doubling in the number of residents served by the Emergency Food Bank, representing an increase of approximately 96%,” reports Sebastien Gaissert, the RRCRC’s executive director. 

And all signals point to even more pressure in 2026 with food prices expected to climb four to six per cent, according to a report from the Dalhousie University Agri-Food Analytics Lab. Combine that with high rental and transportation costs as well as continued inflation, it creates what Gaissert describes as “a perfect storm.”

Ottawa Food Bank network

The Rideau-Rockcliffe food bank, located at 815 St. Laurent Blvd. (former Rideau High School), is one of 71 member agencies within the Ottawa Food Bank (OFB) network. With rising costs, unprecedented demand and government assistance programs not keeping pace, the OFB had to cut the amount of food it distributes to its agencies by 20 to 50 per cent at the start of 2025. 

That led to some difficult decisions for the RRCRC, Davis says, as the food bank sought ways to “bridge the gap” as much as possible. 

“Originally we were giving five to seven days worth of food when you came for your appointment. Now you’re getting three or four,” she says. 

To help with the shortfall, the food bank adds fresh produce from its Social Harvest program and, during warmer months, from its onsite greenhouse. With funding from the City of Ottawa and community donations, it is able to make some food purchases. Nearby retailers like Food Basics, Your Independent Grocer and Adonis also support the emergency food bank’s food rescue program. 

Community efforts, like that at St. Columba Anglican Church in Manor Park, see the collection and donation of non-perishable food items as well as hygiene and cleaning products. During the summer, the church devotes several of its garden boxes to grow fresh produce for the food bank. And local schools like Ashbury and Elmwood collect food and provide volunteers, Gaissert says.

“It has been a village effort, I would say. We all rely on each other.”

Service day

With so much demand, it’s not easy to get an appointment, many having to wait a month to get registered.

On a service day, clients who have booked an appointment online or by phone, check in when they arrive. Once inside, a volunteer assists them with their selections from the community refrigerators and off the shelves. 

“We try to give choice wherever we can,” Davis says. 

At any given time, the food bank has an average of 30 or more volunteers. They take on any number of tasks, from sorting food items, assisting with clients, stocking shelves and more. 

“The volunteers are the key,” says food bank manager Patricia Lau. She notes the program would not survive without them. 

In the September-October edition of the Manor Park Chronicle, local resident David Goldfield shared his experience as a volunteer. 

“Volunteers like me generally work a four-hour shift per work,” he wrote. 

He described one truly heartwarming experience with a client. 

“I was amazed one shift, escorting a single mother from Sudan in her late twenties who has five young children under 10. They had just arrived in Canada as refugees a few months before. Despite her incredible family load and with few other friends or family in Ottawa, she smiled and laughed with me. Her positive attitude was infectious.”

Daniel Coderre has been assisting at the food bank for close to two years. “I came here to work as a co-op (Cooperative Education program student), then after my co-op, I stayed here to volunteer once or twice a week,” he says. 

It’s this level of commitment that inspires Davis. 

“It’s amazing what this team does,” she says. “The amount of people they serve every week, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around, really.” 

Means a lot

Speaking to two senior clients awaiting their time slot at the food bank, both say they are grateful for the assistance. 

“To me, this means a lot. I’m a veteran, and I’ve been in a shelter for 10 months,” one man tells the Chronicle during our visit. “I just moved into a place last month so I’m just getting my feet back on the ground. It’s like starting over.”

Another client says her monthly visit helps her to get by. “I have a very small pension so you have to stretch it out,” she says meekly. “The food bank really helps a lot.” 

She notes she welcomes the assistance of the staff and volunteers on site. “They’re very kind, very patient and helpful.”

It’s knowing you’re making “a real difference” that makes her job so rewarding, Davis says. 

“I find I’m very inspired by my colleagues and community members. Seeing what these community members overcome and deal with, and still greet you with a smile, it’s really powerful. It really puts things into perspective,” she says. 

Hunger Report

According to the Ottawa Food Bank’s 2025 Hunger Report, one in four households (25.7%) experienced food insecurity in 2024.  Incredibly, that’s up from one in seven in 2022 and 1 in 15 households in 2017.

Gaissert says the food bank — together with the RRCRC’s associated wraparound services — has a key role to play, even beyond offering food to those in need. 

“It’s sad to see the need and people struggling, but we hope to be a source of hope, support and warmth,” he tells the Chronicle. “It’s so important to tell the story.” 

To learn more about how to volunteer for or donate to the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre, visit their website: https://www.crcrr.org/.

One can read the OFB’s Hunger Report at:  https://www.ottawafoodbank.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/OFB_HungerReport2025_English_Digital.pdf