durham outlook for needy

What durham outlook for needy does

Durham Outlook for the Needy (DOFN) is a registered Canadian charity (BN 13523 1124 RR0001) founded in 1990 and headquartered at 227 Simcoe Street South, Oshawa, Ontario. It operates St. Vincent's Kitchen, the only 365-days-a-year soup kitchen in Durham Region, serving approximately 4,500 meals per month to vulnerable individuals and families experiencing food insecurity, poverty, and homelessness. The organization also runs a food bank serving ~500 visitors per month and a second-hand thrift store opened in June 2022 at its newly completed, fully accessible facility (first meal served March 10, 2022). Cumulative meal output since founding stands at approximately 2 million.

DOFN delivers services primarily through volunteer labor (~900 volunteers per month across cooking, serving, food bank packing, thrift store operations, and driving) supplemented by one primary operating staff role (Director of Operations & Fundraising, vacated November 2024) and an active Board of Directors led by President Darryl Rancourt. The technology footprint is minimal: a content-managed website, Mailchimp newsletters, Facebook/Instagram, and basic volunteer scheduling tools; no proprietary platform, app, API, or AI/ML capabilities are in evidence.

Revenue is generated through diversified but donor-dependent streams: individual and corporate monetary donations; an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant (CAD $98,800 in 2020); recurring fundraising events (Hunger Drive Charity Golf Tournament, Bowl-O-Rama, Grace & Giving Gala, music/comedy events); paid group-volunteering sessions (CAD $500 half-day / $750 full-day); and thrift-store retail sales. A multi-year capital campaign raised building funds from anchors including City of Oshawa (CAD $200K), Hockey Helps the Homeless (CAD $60K), the Diaz Family (CAD $87.7K), and JJ McGuire (CAD $98K), with approximately CAD $650K of facility mortgage remaining. Services are free at point of delivery; the customer/end-user base is geographically limited to Durham Region.

Name

durham outlook for needy

Legal name

Durham Outlook for the Needy

Website

https://durhamoutlook.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Durham Outlook for the Needy is a Canadian charity operating Durham Region's only 365-days-a-year soup kitchen, a food bank, and a thrift store from its Oshawa, Ontario facility, serving approximately 4,500 meals and 500 food-bank visitors monthly through ~900 volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

Keywords

• Soup kitchen services
• Community food assistance
• Food bank services
• Charitable meal programs
• Thrift store donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Oshawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Direct monetary donations from individuals, families, businesses, and community organizations including major building campaign donors
2. Government Grants: Funding from government sources including Ontario Trillium Foundation ($98,800) and municipal government support
3. Fundraising Events: Annual and recurring events including Hunger Drive Charity Golf Tournament, Bowl-O-Rama bowling fundraiser, Grace & Giving Gala, and third-party fundraisers
4. Group Volunteering Fees: Groups pay to volunteer: $500 for half-day, $750 for full-day at the kitchen
5. Thrift Store Revenue: Second-hand store selling donated clothing and goods; accepts thrift store vouchers as donations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Durham Outlook for the Needy is a registered charitable organization in Oshawa, Ontario that operates St. Vincent's Kitchen, the only 365-days-a-year soup kitchen in Durham Region. It serves approximately 4,500 meals per month, runs a food bank serving around 500 visitors monthly, and operates a second-hand thrift store. The organization relies on more than 900 volunteers each month and is funded through donations, grants, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Durham Outlook for the Needy operates a unified charitable service model consisting of a soup kitchen (the only 365-days-a-year kitchen in Durham Region), a food bank and food distribution service, and a second-hand store. The organization relies on over 900 monthly volunteers and accepts various donations including meal donations, Sunday brunch support, and food drives. The services are provided free of charge to vulnerable community members including families, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kitchen (Soup Kitchen) The only 365-days-a-year soup kitchen in Durham Region, serving hot meals to vulnerable community members including families, seniors, people with disabilities, and those experiencing food insecurity or homelessness. Service operates with morning prep shifts and evening meal service, plus Sunday brunch.
• Food Distribution / Food Bank Food bank and food distribution service providing packed groceries to community members in need, serving approximately 500 visitors each month. Operates Saturday shifts for packing groceries.
• Second Hand Store (Thrift Store) Thrift store selling donated second-hand clothing and goods at affordable prices, operated by volunteer store helpers Monday through Friday. Also accepts thrift store voucher donations.
• Group Volunteering Program Paid group volunteering experience at St. Vincent's Kitchen available for businesses, organizations, and groups seeking team-building or corporate social responsibility activities. Half-day is $500 (morning prep or afternoon service shift) and full-day is $750 (exclusive kitchen use).
• Meal Donation Program Donation program that allows individuals and organizations to sponsor meals for those in need. Approximately $1,000 covers feeding roughly 200 people.
• Food Drive Program Community program enabling groups, schools, businesses, and individuals to organize food drives to collect non-perishable food items for the organization's kitchen and food bank.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~4,500 meals served per month; ~2 million total meals served since inception
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Four Seasons Country Golf ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolf tournament venue in Pickering/Claremont, Ontario. Hosts annual Hunger Drive Charity Golf Tournament.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army Canada: Large established charitable organization providing community meals, food assistance, and shelter services nationally. Overlaps with DOFN on daily meal service and food bank operations but at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Feed Ontario: Provincial association of Ontario food banks. Comparable as a peer/member network relevant to DOFN's food bank program and to provincial funding/advocacy relationships in the food assistance sector.
• Food Banks Canada: National umbrella organization supporting provincial and regional food banks across Canada. Functions as a coordinating, advocacy, and funding body that DOFN and similar regional food banks participate in or partner with.
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul: National Catholic charitable organization operating soup kitchens, food banks, and home visit programs across Canada. Particularly relevant given DOFN's origin as 'St. Vincent Pallotti's Kitchen,' reflecting a shared operational and spiritual heritage.

Direct peers

• North York Harvest Food Bank: Regional food bank serving a specific Greater Toronto Area catchment, relying on donations and volunteer labor. Comparable community-based, donation-funded food assistance model serving a defined Ontario geography.
• Good Shepherd Ministries: Toronto-based charity operating a long-running daily soup kitchen and food programs for vulnerable populations. Directly comparable operating model: volunteer-staffed, daily hot-meal service, food bank, and donation-funded community support.
• Second Harvest: Canada's largest food rescue organization, redirecting surplus food to feed people in need. Comparable in providing food access through a community/charity operating model across Ontario, though with a food-rescue sourcing approach.
• Daily Bread Food Bank: Toronto's largest food bank, distributing food through member agencies and direct member programs. Directly comparable mission of food assistance and food distribution to low-income and vulnerable households in Ontario.
• Inn from the Cold: Charity providing emergency shelter and meals to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Comparable operating model: donation-funded, volunteer-supported, daily meal service to vulnerable populations with a community-engagement focus.

Regional players

• Community Care Durham: Regional social services non-profit serving Durham Region with programs including food security, transportation, and in-home support. Operates in DOFN's same geography with overlapping clientele, making it a natural local peer and potential partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/durham.outlook
• Instagraminstagram.com/durhamoutlook
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dofn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 durham outlook for needy