Cambridge Food Bank

What Cambridge Food Bank does

Cambridge Food Bank (legal name: Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank Inc.) is a registered Canadian charitable nonprofit founded in 1985 and headquartered at 54 Ainslie Street South in Cambridge, Ontario, operating with 37 staff and a base of hundreds of annual volunteers. It serves food-insecure residents of Cambridge and North Dumfries through three primary distribution channels: a Community Pantry providing emergency food hampers at three locations (averaging 2,000 hampers per month), a Mobile Food Market offering weekly neighborhood produce distributions on a pay-what-you-can basis (18,000+ people served, 100,000+ baskets since July 2021), and a Flash Food quick-access area. The organization also runs a Wellness Hub providing cooking classes, nutrition education, youth mentorship, and community wellness programs to 1,100+ participants annually, alongside Food Bank Gardens and community Food Drives.

The underlying operating model is community-led and donation-funded, combining in-kind food rescue from major retail partners (Costco, Walmart, Zehrs, Sobeys, Food Basics, Foodland, No Frills, and COBS Bread, together contributing 500,000+ lbs in 2025) with cash revenue from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation grants (including Ontario Trillium Foundation and a $125,000 Equitable Foundation commitment). All client services are provided free of charge, with an 88-cent program efficiency ratio recognized by Charity Intelligence Canada as a Top 10 Impact Charity. Distribution is geographic-restricted to Cambridge and North Dumfries; there is no proprietary technology platform, mobile application, or AI component — operations are coordinated through standard nonprofit digital tools (website, social channels, email newsletters, and registration portals).

The organization is in an active capacity-expansion phase: in February 2026 it purchased a 31,000-square-foot facility at 384 Franklin Blvd. — nearly doubling its footprint — funded through a Feeding the Future Capital Campaign, and it has published a Strategic Priorities 2025-2030 roadmap. Governance rests with a board of directors under CEO Dianne McLeod; the entity holds Charitable Registration #890658743 RR0001, is PIPEDA-compliant, and is independently operated with no parent company or subsidiaries.

Name

Cambridge Food Bank

Legal name

Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank Inc.

Website

https://cambridgefoodbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cambridge Food Bank is a registered Canadian nonprofit founded in 1985 that distributes emergency food, fresh produce, and wellness programming to food-insecure residents of Cambridge and North Dumfries, serving over 23,000 individuals annually through Community Pantry hampers, Mobile Food Markets, and a Wellness Hub.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Assistance Services

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Emergency food assistance
• Mobile food market
• Food rescue operations
• Community wellness programs
• Food bank services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Food Donations: Receives food donations from retail partners, community food drives, local farms, and businesses. Food is distributed to those in need through emergency hampers and Mobile Food Market.
2. Financial Donations: Receives monetary donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. 88 cents from every dollar goes directly to the cause. Provides tax receipts for Canadian donations.
3. Food Rescue from Retail Partners: Partners with major grocery retailers to rescue fresh produce and prepared foods that would otherwise go to landfill.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cambridge Food Bank provides free emergency food assistance and fresh-produce access to residents of Cambridge and North Dumfries through three core programs: the Community Pantry (client-choice emergency food hampers at three locations, available once per month), the Mobile Food Market (weekly neighborhood produce market with pay-what-you-can pricing), and the Wellness Hub (cooking classes, nutrition education, youth mentorship, and community gardens). Food is sourced from retail food rescue partnerships with major Canadian grocers and supplemented through donations, food drives, and foundation grants.

Product overview

Cambridge Food Bank is a nonprofit food assistance organization serving Cambridge and North Dumfries for over 40 years. The organization operates a network of programs including the Community Pantry (emergency food hampers), the Mobile Food Market (weekly produce distribution reaching 18,000+ people), and the Wellness Hub (cooking classes and wellness programs for 1,100+ participants). The Mobile Food Market, launched in July 2021, has distributed over 100,000 baskets of fresh produce. Additional programs include Food Bank Gardens and community food drives. The organization recently purchased a new 31,000 sq ft facility at 384 Franklin Blvd to expand operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Pantry (Emergency Food Hampers) Free emergency food assistance for residents of Cambridge and North Dumfries. Clients shop a 'shopping model' to select the foods they want and receive a hamper providing 2–3 days of food, available once per calendar month at three pantry locations.
• Mobile Food Market Weekly produce market that distributes fresh, affordable food to community members across Cambridge and North Dumfries. Offers a pay-what-you-can pricing model with set price baskets. Reached milestone of 100,000 baskets distributed since launch.
• Wellness Hub (Youth and Adult Programs) Health and wellness programming including cooking classes, nutrition education, youth mentorship, and community education. Supports over 1,100 children and adults annually with health and wellness activities.
• Food Bank Gardens Community gardening initiative that supports food education and provides fresh produce for distribution.
• Food Drive Program Community-organized food collection initiative allowing individuals and organizations to host food drives to support the food bank's inventory; drop-off at the food bank or pickup services for large donations are available.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88 cents from every dollar donated goes to the cause
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• COBS Bread – Cambridge NorthcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Long-standing retail partner donating unsold bread and baked goods three times per week. In 2025, donated 29,912 lbs of food, building on 29,257 lbs in 2024. Led by owner Terrell Thurston.
• Costco – KitchenercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Major retail partner donating meal kits, meat, produce, and essential groceries. Staff from multiple departments collaborate to prepare food for pickup. In 2025, donated 166,470 lbs of food, a 40% increase over 2024.
• Food Basics – HespelercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Weekly donations of meat, baked goods, and non-perishable items. In 2025, donated 38,014 lbs of food, a 22% increase over 2024.
• Foodland – AyrcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Weekly donations of bread, produce, meat, and pantry items. Donations consistently well-sorted and packaged, reducing warehouse sorting time. In 2024, donated 33,664 lbs of food.
• Zehrs – HespelercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Weekly donations of meat, produce, baked goods, and non-perishable items. Supports community events like Stuff a Van initiatives and community BBQs. In 2025, donated 62,360 lbs of food.
• Ross & Lindsay's No FrillscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Owned by Ross and Lindsay Ware. Contributing produce, bread, meat, dairy, and pantry staples. In 2025, donated 55,550 lbs of food, a remarkable 102% increase over 2024.
• Zehrs – Cambridge CentrecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Long-standing partner donating non-perishables, meat, produce, and baked goods. Supports community initiatives such as Stuff a Van events. In 2025, donated 53,468 lbs of food.
• Sobeys – Westgate CambridgecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Led by Store Manager Doug Ermel and Assistant Store Manager Karen Baillie. Regular donations of meat, produce, baked goods, and non-perishables. In 2025, donated 25,600 lbs of food.
• WalmartcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Weekly donations of a wide variety of food. In 2025, donated 58,800 lbs of food, an impressive 314% increase over 2024. Key partner in food rescue efforts.
• Zehrs – South CambridgecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Surplus food donations weekly, supporting families facing food insecurity while prioritizing food rescue and waste reduction. In 2025, donated 17,474 lbs of food.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Greater Vancouver Food Bank: Major food bank serving Metro Vancouver with similar food rescue and distribution programs. Operates in a different province but is highly comparable in mission and model.

Direct peers

• Food Banks Canada: National association representing Canada's food bank network. Highly comparable as the umbrella organization coordinating the type of community food assistance that Cambridge Food Bank delivers.
• Hamilton Food Share: Regional food bank serving Hamilton, Ontario, with food rescue and member agency distribution. Directly comparable in scale, regional scope, and donation-based funding model.
• Second Harvest (Toronto): Canada's largest food rescue organization, redistributing surplus food from retailers and producers. Comparable to Cambridge Food Bank's retail food rescue model and similar community-impact orientation.
• Daily Bread Food Bank (Toronto): Major Greater Toronto Area food bank operating emergency food distribution and member agency support. Directly comparable to Cambridge Food Bank in mission, model, and program mix.
• Mississauga Food Bank: Regional food bank serving Mississauga with emergency hampers, fresh food programs, and community programming. Comparable in services, partnerships, and donor-supported nonprofit structure.
• Ottawa Food Bank: Regional food bank serving the Ottawa area, providing emergency food assistance and food rescue from retail partners. Similar mandate and operating model to Cambridge Food Bank.
• Feed Ontario: Ontario-wide food bank network providing coordination, funding, and advocacy for member food banks including emergency food hampers and fresh food programs.

Emerging players

• Community Food Centres Canada: Network of community food centres offering food access combined with programming, advocacy, and community engagement. Comparable to Cambridge Food Bank's holistic Wellness Hub approach.

Others

• Loblaw Companies (President's Choice Children's Charity / Too Good To Be Thrown Away): Large Canadian grocery retailer that runs its own food rescue and charitable programs. Adjacent rather than a peer — Cambridge Food Bank partners with Loblaw banners (Zehrs, No Frills), making it both a comparable food-rescue player and a partner ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cambridgefoodbank
• Facebookfacebook.com/CambFoodBank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cambridge-food-bank
• Instagraminstagram.com/cambfoodbank

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 Cambridge Food Bank