April 2024 – March 2025
Annual Impact Report
Working together toward a hunger-free community.
Download the full reportFeeding the Hammer
A city-wide network of hunger relief
Hamilton Food Share provides resources to food banks and hot meal programs across the entire city of Hamilton.
Member Agencies
Acknowledging the land & our responsibilities
Hamilton Food Share acknowledges that our work takes place on the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples who have stewarded this land since time immemorial. The land on which we live and work is situated within the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and Mississaugas Peoples. It is protected by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes.
As an organization working in food justice and poverty reduction, we recognize that these systems exist within the broader context of colonization, land theft, and the displacement of Indigenous Peoples. We acknowledge that these harms are not only historical, but ongoing. The impacts of colonization continue through systemic barriers to food, healthcare, education, land access, and community well-being, all of which intersect with the work we do.
We look to Indigenous values of reciprocity, land stewardship, and community care as our guide. Today and every day, we commit to listening, learning, and supporting Indigenous-led solutions that honour both people and the earth.
CEO & Board Chair Statement
Together with our partners, we’re building a food-secure Hamilton.
As we reflect on the 2024–2025 year, we are reminded that the fight against hunger is a shared journey that depends on the dedication and compassion of our entire community.
Food insecurity remains a pressing challenge across Canada, touching nearly 10 million people, including many children. Here in Hamilton, food bank visits have increased by over 50% since 2021. These numbers represent real neighbours, families, and individuals facing uncertainty every day.
At the heart of our response are the incredible partner agencies, food banks, and meal programs on the ground across Hamilton. These frontline organizations meet neighbours where they are, offering food alongside hope, respect, and dignity. It is their tireless work, often behind the scenes, that turns resources into meaningful support for those who need it most.
Thanks to their unwavering commitment, and the generosity of donors, volunteers, and community partners, we were able to deliver more nutritious food and essential supplies than ever before. From the 200+ volunteers who powered Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Week, to the heartfelt contributions of the Hamilton Potters Guild’s Empty Bowls campaign, and the energy at community events like the Ancaster Food Drive and Purolator Tackle Hunger with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, every effort rippled out to support our neighbours in need.
As CEO and Board Chair, we are proud to lead during this critical time. This year, we strengthened collaboration with our member agencies and deepened partnerships with the City of Hamilton to ensure that food reaches every table, whether through emergency food banks, hot meal programs, or community outreach.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the frontline staff, volunteers, and partner organizations who bring compassion, strength, and dignity to their work every single day. It is through this collective effort that we are building a stronger, more food-secure Hamilton, one neighbour, one family, and one meal at a time.
Together, we are more than a network. We are a community committed to making hunger history.
Radhika Subramanyan
Chief Executive Officer
Hamilton Food Share
Don Forbes
Board Chair
President, Stresscrete Group
Community in Action
Hunger is a challenge no one faces alone
Throughout the year, individuals, organizations, and partners from every corner of our city stepped up in powerful ways to support our shared mission.
Hamilton Food Share thrives thanks to the generosity of our community through impactful events and food drives each year. These initiatives, in partnership with groups across Hamilton, raise funds as well as thousands of pounds of food and fresh produce, while engaging volunteers and staff. Beyond providing vital resources, these efforts strengthen community connections and help close the hunger gap for families relying on food banks.
Together, through innovative fundraising and local donations, we’re building a stronger, more food-secure Hamilton. Thank you for your continued support.
$0
Moose Lodge
Raised for Hamilton Food Share through their community fundraiser.
0+
Volunteers
Powered Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Week across Hamilton.
$0
Giant Tiger
Presented through their Tackle Hunger fundraiser.
$0
Black & McDonald
Enough to provide over 33,000 pounds of food.
Food Acquisition & Distribution Program
The central hub of Hamilton’s emergency food network
Instead of distributing food directly to individuals, we supply 22 hunger-relief programs across Hamilton, including food banks and meal programs, ensuring that nutritious food reaches the people who need it most.
0
Pounds of food distributed
$0
Total value of food donated & purchased
0
Local hunger-relief programs supported
What we distributed
Fresh
63% 2,955,359 lbs
Non-Perishable
26% 1,230,710 lbs
Frozen
11% 518,177 lbs
How food reaches families
- Farms, processors, retailers, food drives and purchased food
- National, provincial and regional food bank networks
- Hamilton Food Share
- Local food network and member agencies
- Clients and families
The Emergency Food Network
Memberships & Partnerships
- Feed Ontario
- Food Banks Canada
- The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, Food Bank Distribution Services Program
Hunger Relief Member Agencies
- Ancaster Community Services
- De Mazenod Door Outreach
- Flamborough Food Bank
- Good Shepherd Centres
- Hamilton Jewish Family Services
- Living Rock Ministries
- Mission Services of Hamilton
- Native Women’s Centre
- Neighbour to Neighbour Centre
- Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg
- The Salvation Army, Hamilton & Dundas
- Stoney Creek Community Food Bank
- Welcome Inn Community Centre
- Wesley
Hunger Relief Supported Agencies
- East Hamilton Food Centre (Mission Services)
- Eva Rothwell Centre
- Mishka Social Services, BarakahBox
- Niagara Regional Hub
- The Burlington Food Bank
- Caledonia & District Food Bank
- Cayuga Food Bank
- Community Care, St. Catharines & Thorold
- Community Care of West Niagara, Beamsville
- The Food with Grace Waterdown Food Bank
- GBF Food Bank, Grimsby
- Hagersville Food Bank
- The Hope Centre, Welland
- Jarvis Caring Cupboard Food Bank
- Newark Neighbours Food Bank
- Pelham Cares, Fonthill
- Port Cares (Reach Out Centre), Port Colborne
- Project SHARE, Niagara Falls
- The Salvation Army, Dunnville
- The Salvation Army, Fort Erie
- West Lincoln Community Care
A snapshot of food insecurity in Hamilton
Hamilton Hunger Report 2025
This report draws on data collected in March 2025 from food bank visitors across Hamilton in the 2024–2025 year. These figures offer a real-time snapshot of hunger in our city from the on-the-ground realities of those reaching out for help.
In a single month, March 2025
0
Individual visits
12,546 adults and 6,397 children
0
Household visits
Families turning to a food bank in one month
0
Hot meals & snacks
Around 841 served every day
0
Hamper program visits
Across the Hamilton network
Across the 2024–2025 year
0
Total meals served
0
Total visits to local food banks
0%
of all food bank visits are children.
Around
0
people turned to emergency food programs for the first time.
Around
0
people reached out to a food bank each day.
A growing crisis
In 2024, nearly 10 million people in Canada lived in a food-insecure household, including 2.5 million children. That’s about one in four Canadians, a 15% increase over the previous year, and the third consecutive year of record-setting food insecurity.[1]
Right here in Hamilton, the need is rising sharply. Since 2021, food bank usage has jumped by over 50%. In March 2025 alone, 615 people turned to emergency food programs for the first time, many of them families who have never needed help before. Hunger is a daily reality for thousands in our community.
Food alone won’t fix this
Hunger in Hamilton is the result of a system that’s failing to meet people’s most basic needs. Rising food bank use reflects deep issues like high housing and grocery costs, stagnant wages, and weakened social supports. These challenges hit those facing systemic barriers the hardest, including single parents, newcomers, racialized groups, and people with disabilities, and push them further into crisis through no fault of their own.
At Hamilton Food Share, we see the impact of hunger every day. People are forced to choose between rent and groceries, or basic meals and medication. Food banks offer urgent relief. Ending hunger means addressing poverty through affordable housing, fair wages, and stronger social supports. We believe in a future where no one has to rely on food banks to survive. That future is possible when we work together with courage, compassion, and a commitment to lasting change.
0% said that the cost of food was the reason for their visit.
Primary source of income of food bank users in Hamilton
Family composition
1. Rezaee, Jasmine Ramze. “Food-Insecurity Crisis Is Policy Failure.” Policy Options, 5 June 2025, policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/june-2024/food-insecurity/.
Making an Impact
Every meal begins with the generosity of our donors
At Hamilton Food Share, every meal provided, every child fed, and every family supported begins with the generosity of our donors and supporters. As food insecurity reaches unprecedented levels, with over 50% increase in local hunger-relief needs since 2021, community support has never been more vital.
While donated food plays an important role, monetary donations allow us to do more, reaching people faster across the Greater Hamilton Region. Financial donations help us purchase nutritious food in bulk at lower costs, supply high-demand items not always donated, and ensure food reaches the agencies and families who need it most. With the support of donors, we’re filling homes with hope, stability, and nourishment.
In a period when food bank visits are at an all-time high, the donations we receive are the difference between going without and getting by. Our supporters make it possible for us to meet the rising need with compassion, efficiency, and dignity.
Donor Spotlight
Black & McDonald Limited
Black & McDonald donated $20,000 to help support hunger relief in Hamilton, enough to provide over 33,000 pounds of food to thousands of families across our network of 22 hunger-relief programs.
For over 100 years, Black & McDonald has been building stronger communities, dedicated to helping build a hunger-free Hamilton. Partnerships like this matter, and we wouldn’t be able to do this work without organizations like them.
“Together, we can make a significant difference.”
Financial Report
Where our funds come from, and how we use them
Total revenue
$0
| Revenue | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Procured food | $17,123,455 | 77% |
| Donations | $3,817,659 | 17% |
| Grants | $1,270,709 | 6% |
| Amortization & disposals | $81,466 | <1% |
| Other | $4,967 | <1% |
| Total | $22,298,256 |
Procured food Donations Grants
Total expenses
$0
| Expenses | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Distributed food | $17,123,455 | 80% |
| Food acquisition & distribution | $3,354,237 | 16% |
| Administration | $416,610 | 2% |
| Resource development | $347,591 | 2% |
| Community development & public education | $200,709 | <1% |
| Amortization | $119,263 | <1% |
| Total | $21,561,865 |
Distributed food Acquisition & distribution Administration & other
Audited financial statements are available on our reports and statements page.
Governance
Our mission, board and the code we work by
Working together toward a hunger-free community.
Board of Directors
| Position | Board member |
|---|---|
| Chair | Don Forbes |
| Vice Chair | Anna Kodintseva |
| Former Chair | Joe Mercanti |
| Member | Moi Vienneau |
| Member | Vince Raso |
| Member | Jennifer Paulino |
| Member | Tonia Petti |
The Ethical Food Banking Code
Food Banks Canada, the provincial associations, and affiliate food banks and programs will:
- Provide food and other assistance to those needing help regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, income source, age, and mental or physical ability.
- Treat all those who access services with the utmost dignity and respect.
- Implement best practices in the proper and safe storage and handling of food.
- Respect the privacy of those served and maintain the confidentiality of personal information.
- Not sell donated food.
- Acquire and share food in a spirit of cooperation with other food banks and food programs.
- Strive to make the public aware of the existence of hunger and of the factors that contribute to it.
- Recognize that food banks are not a viable long-term response to hunger and devote part of their activities to reducing the need for food assistance.
- Represent accurately, honestly, and completely their respective mission and activities to the larger community.