With fall fast approaching, The Sharing Place is rolling out a harvest-themed fundraiser to help raise funds for its nutritious food programs.
The food bank’s second annual Harvest Hoedown is set for Sept. 27 at ODAS Park, featuring a barbecue dinner, cocktails, dancing, and classic rock covers from the Muskoka River Band.
“From our food partners, like our local farmers and growers who give us produce all growing season, to our many volunteers, to our very generous donors, we just want to celebrate the collective effort that keeps The Sharing Place running and create some awareness along the way,” said development manager, Kelly Allen.
“Anyone who is supportive of nutritious food access, we want to invite them to come on out (and) support a great cause while having a fantastic time.”
The Harvest Hoedown is an evolution from the food bank’s previous Mac and Cheese Luncheon, which ran annually for over a decade to raise funds in support of its programs.
The new event proved popular in its first year, with executive director Chris Peacock saying it was fun to get the food bank’s supporters together for the party last year, and he encourages the broader community to come out and have fun once again on Sept. 27.
“It's just great to see our community of supporters together as a team. Usually we see them one-on-one at different times throughout the year,” he said. “We just want to grow that team, so that's what we're looking for — people around the community that really want to start to help out with this growing need. We'd encourage them to stop by.”
As food insecurity continues to climb, Allen say it’s “more important than ever” to raise support for The Sharing Place, which provides food bank services, Meals-4-Change, School Fuel, and other programs to thousands of residents and students in Orillia.
According to health unit data, the number of food insecure households across Simcoe-Muskoka skyrocketed from 17 per cent in 2022 to 30.7 per cent in 2023 — a spike The Sharing Place has experienced through growing demand for its services.
“Food insecurity is now one in three households in our region — it's at the highest it's ever been,” Allen said. “It's more important than ever that we continue to create awareness about The Sharing Place and its programs and support them.”
With more than 10 sponsors, including Orillia Mazda, Home Hardware, and others, Allen thanked those who came together to ensure the second annual Harvest Hoedown could take place.
“We couldn't do it without them, and we are very thankful for their support,” Allen said.
All proceeds from the event will support The Sharing Place and its programs. Tickets for the Harvest Hoedown are available on The Sharing Place website.
