Barrie Food Bank

What Barrie Food Bank does

Barrie Food Bank is an independent, registered Canadian charity (BN 106962251RR0001) operating since 1984 as a community food bank serving Barrie, Ontario and surrounding Simcoe County. It distributes food at no cost to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity, primarily through a self-service shopping Marketplace at its 42 Anne Street South headquarters, supplemented by 10 Little Food Pantries for 24/7 emergency access, a Corner Store Emergency Pantry serving unhoused clients, and the School Fuel program delivering healthy snacks to 22 local schools serving 5,600+ children. The organization has grown from distributing 55,000 pounds of food in 1984 to 2.1 million pounds in 2023, and currently serves 6,000 to over 8,100 individuals per month.

The organization's technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a self-service shopping model that allows clients to choose items based on dietary needs and family composition, paired with online appointment booking. It has no disclosed APIs, SDKs, mobile applications, or proprietary software. Its operating model relies on a 13-person staff, a large volunteer base, and a network of grocery store collection bins across all major Barrie retailers. It was the first food bank in Ontario to achieve Food Banks Canada Standards of Excellence accreditation in May 2024, covering operations, governance, client care, food and workplace safety, fundraising, and communications.

Barrie Food Bank generates no commercial revenue; its inflows are charitable monetary donations, in-kind food donations from individuals and grocery partners, grants (e.g., Feed Ontario, United Way, Pavlic Foundation), and proceeds from corporate campaigns such as the Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie initiative across 26 Barrie locations and the annual Close the Gap/Fill the Gap Holiday Campaign. It operates without federal or provincial government funding and is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Ab Falconi, with Karen Shuh serving as Executive Director since August 26, 2024.

Name

Barrie Food Bank

Legal name

Barrie Food Bank

Website

https://barriefoodbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Barrie Food Bank is a registered Canadian charity in Barrie, Ontario, founded in 1984, that distributes food at no cost to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity through a self-service Marketplace, Little Food Pantries, and the School Fuel school-snack program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Food Assistance

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAA

Food Assistance & Food Banks

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPADAJAD

School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Food Security & Nutrition Programs

SECONDARYBPADAJAA

Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Food Security & Nutrition Programs

SECONDARYBPAIAKAF

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Social Security, Benefits & Welfare Administration

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Emergency food assistance
• Community food distribution
• Charitable food programs
• Food insecurity support

Headquarters

HQ city

Barrie

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Monetary Donations: Individual and corporate financial contributions received through online donations, e-transfers, cheques, and in-person donations. Funds used to purchase fresh food including eggs, cheese, fresh produce, and meats.
2. Food Donations: Non-perishable and perishable food items donated by individuals, businesses, and grocery stores. Food is redistributed to those in need at no cost.
3. Campaign Partnerships: Partnership programs like Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign where 100% of proceeds from cookie sales are donated. Corporate sponsors provide matching donations and event support.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Barrie Food Bank collects, stores, and redistributes food at no cost to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in the Barrie, Ontario area. Its core service is a self-service shopping Marketplace at its headquarters that allows clients to choose groceries based on dietary needs, family size, and composition. Specialized programs include the School Fuel snack delivery program serving 22 schools, Barrie's Little Food Pantries providing 24/7 community food access, and the Corner Store Emergency Pantry for unhoused persons.

Product overview

Barrie Food Bank is a charitable food banking organization offering a portfolio of food support services centered on its core Food Support Services program, which uses a self-service shopping marketplace model. The organization supplements its core offering with specialized programs including the School Fuel program for child nutrition, Barrie's Little Food Pantries for 24/7 community access, and the Corner Store Emergency Pantry for vulnerable populations. The organization conducts annual fundraising campaigns including holiday campaigns and the Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• School Fuel: A program delivering healthy snack foods to school-aged children in Barrie, addressing food insecurity that affects children's ability to learn. In partnership with School Nutrition Council of Ontario and Pavlic Foundation.
• Barrie's Little Food Pantries
• Home Runs for the Hungry

Products and services

• Food Support Services Primary food assistance service providing monthly grocery support to families and individuals in need through a self-service shopping Marketplace model at the Barrie headquarters. Clients choose items based on dietary needs, family size, and composition from fresh produce, dairy, meat, and pantry staples. Operates by appointment with scheduled client service hours.
• School Fuel Program School-based nutrition program that delivers healthy snack foods to school-aged children in 22 local schools across SCDSB, SMCDSB, Conseil Scolaire Viamonde, and Simcoe Shores Alternative Schools, addressing food insecurity that affects children's ability to learn and concentrate.
• Barrie's Little Food Pantries Community-based 24/7 outdoor food pantry stations located at churches and community locations throughout Barrie, providing barrier-free emergency food access for people experiencing food insecurity or homelessness.
• Corner Store Emergency Pantry Weekly emergency food support service providing essential food items to unhoused or vulnerably housed persons in Barrie, with over 180 visits per week, addressing the needs of individuals without stable access to food preparation and storage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supporting over 8,100 visits per month as of late 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Tim HortonscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Annual Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign where 100% of proceeds from 26 Barrie locations benefit Barrie Food Bank. Raised $54,593.71 in 2024 holiday campaign.
• Feed OntariocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Provincial food bank association providing grants and support. Granted Feeding Fundamentals! funding for warehouse improvements including lighting upgrades.
• Food Banks CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024National organization providing accreditation (Standards of Excellence), support, and resources. Barrie Food Bank is an Affiliate Member and the first food bank in Ontario to achieve Standards of Excellence accreditation.
• School Nutrition Council of Ontario, Central EastcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024Partnership to deliver School Fuel program providing healthy snack foods to school-aged children in Barrie through 22 local schools.
• Barrie BaycatscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Local baseball team hosting Home Runs for the Hungry charity baseball game, donating players and organizational support for annual fundraising event.
• Barrie Churches (Collier Street United, Grace United, Trinity Anglican, Burton Avenue United)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021Partnership with local churches to operate Little Food Pantries providing 24/7 emergency food access in areas of food insecurity and homelessness.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Community Food Centres Canada: National organization building and supporting community food centres that combine food access with programming. Thematically comparable for its adjacent approach to food insecurity, though focused on multi-service centres rather than traditional food banking.

Direct peers

• Toronto Daily Bread Food Bank: Largest food bank in the Greater Toronto Area, distributing food through member agencies and direct programs. Direct peer because it operates the same food bank model (community food services, client-choice programs, fundraising campaigns) at a larger urban scale in the same Canadian province.
• Second Harvest: Canada's largest food rescue organization focused on food recovery and redistribution. Peer due to overlapping mission of preventing food waste and feeding vulnerable populations, with the recent refrigerated van acquisition giving Barrie direct overlap into Second Harvest's core activity.
• Ottawa Food Bank: Regional food bank serving Ottawa, with similar programming including food collection, distribution to member agencies, and holiday fundraising campaigns. Direct peer operating the comparable community food bank model in another Ontario city.
• Edmonton Food Bank: Alberta-based food bank with hamper distribution, school programs, and holiday campaigns. Peer in operating a regional food bank with multi-channel distribution and corporate fundraising partnerships.
• Greater Vancouver Food Bank: Major Canadian metropolitan food bank providing direct food distribution and member agency support. Comparable in operating model and mission, though geographically distinct and serving a larger population base.
• Hamilton Food Share: Regional food bank serving Hamilton and area with food distribution to member agencies. Comparable as an Ontario-based community food bank with similar warehousing, fundraising, and partner-agency distribution model.

Regional players

• Moisson Montréal: Quebec's largest food bank serving the Greater Montreal area. Comparable food bank operating model but primarily serves a different province with distinct regulatory and cultural context.

Broad incumbents

• Food Banks Canada: National umbrella organization that accredits and supports Canadian food banks including Barrie Food Bank (Standards of Excellence program). Comparable as the industry backbone that defines operational standards, but operates at a national rather than direct service level.
• Feed Ontario: Provincial association of Ontario food banks providing grants (Feeding Fundamentals!), advocacy, and coordination. Comparable as a strategic-level funder and peer network for Barrie Food Bank's operations across Ontario.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/barriefoodbank
• Facebookfacebook.com/barriefoodbank
• Instagraminstagram.com/foodbankbarrie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barrie-food-bank

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Barrie Food Bank