Turning Hunger Relief into Action: How Foodbuy Vendors Can Support Food Banks Canada
Behind every food bank visit is a story. A parent skipping meals so their kids can eat. A senior choosing between medication and groceries. A worker juggling multiple jobs and still coming up short at the end of the month. These are not outliers. With food bank visits reaching a record high of 2.2 million monthly visits in 2025, these impossible trade-offs are increasingly the norm.
The resourceful, dedicated food bankers on the front lines of Canada’s hunger crisis are working tirelessly to meet this ever-growing demand. Food Banks Canada is here to help – and you can help too.
Food Banks Canada is the leader in addressing food insecurity in Canada. Working alongside a network of more than 5,500 food banks and community organizations from coast to coast to coast, our mission is to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow. Since 2010, Food Banks Canada has shared over $1.2 billion in food supports and over $292 million in funding to help strengthen the food bank network to meet demand and improve access where it’s needed most. Backed by leading research, we also advocate for meaningful policy action to address the root causes of hunger.
For Canada’s food service industry, the growing need for food supports creates an important opportunity to be part of the solution. Food banks have historically been able to feed communities with donations from individuals and businesses, but rising demand has changed how many organizations operate. Increasingly, food banks are not only receiving donated food – they are also purchasing more food to ensure they can offer reliable, nutritious options to the communities they serve.
“I think people are having a hard time now, and they really can’t give us the donations like they used to,” reflected Mariana Franey, a volunteer at Berwick Food Bank in Nova Scotia.
That shift is significant. Food Banks Canada’s network surveys show that food bank spending on food purchasing nearly doubled from 2024 to 2025. Across our national network, purchasing reached $407 million in 2025.
For vendors, this represents a largely untapped sales channel within the food service industry – one that is complementary to, rather than competitive with, traditional sales channels. Food banks and community organizations are looking for trusted suppliers who can offer staple products at a strong value to help them meet growing demand. Vendors have an opportunity to connect with a new customer base, increase brand awareness and drive sales, while also demonstrating tangible investment in communities.
How to get involved
Did you know 45% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product if the brand advertises that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to a charitable cause? And that 78% of consumers are more likely to remember companies that exhibit a strong purpose?
Supporting food banks is a win-win for your company and for communities. There are several ways Foodbuy vendors can get involved:
Explore purchasing partnerships: Through our exclusive group purchasing program, Marketplace, food banks can access key products from reputable vendors at discounted rates. Food Banks Canada’s Marketplace gives vendors access to a unique customer base outside of traditional sales channels, while helping reduce food insecurity. We are looking to add vendors who can offer staple products at unbeatable prices to our network and are also exploring centralized purchasing opportunities.
Several Foodbuy vendors are already bringing in regular sales through Marketplace, and we would be glad to explore whether your products or services could be a fit.
Donate food: Whether your company needs a reliable channel for regular production overages or is looking for an ad-hoc solution to distribute close-coded products or mislabelled products, for instance, Food Banks Canada can help coordinate donation opportunities through our national network.
Donating food can help reduce waste and related costs while ensuring good food reaches people who need it. If you work in agriculture, retail, food manufacturing or storage and would rather donate food than throw it away, we would be happy to connect.
Support with funds or in-kind services: Impactful partnerships can take many forms. Monetary gifts, corporate campaigns and in-kind donations of services (such as transportation and warehousing) can all make a meaningful difference to people in need in communities across the country. These contributions help strengthen the food bank network while aligning your company with a clear and urgent social purpose.
Food insecurity is a complex issue, but the food service industry has practical and powerful ways to help. By donating surplus food, offering strong-value purchasing opportunities, or contributing funding and services, vendors can support communities while building meaningful connections with organizations across the country.
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can get involved with Food Banks Canada, we would love to connect. Please reach out to Lindsay Purchase, Procurement Manager, at [email protected].