Vital Signs community data, Prince Edward County - Data , Food Security

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
SDG 2.1: End hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.

About

Factors

Impact on Health

How You Can Help

About

Prevalence of food insecurity

Food insecurity is a serious public health problem in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties (HPEC). Public Health Ontario shows the prevalence of household food insecurity for South East Health Unit (which encompasses the previous Hastings Prince Edward Health region), is 25.9 per cent.

More than one in four households in Hastings Prince Edward has inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints.

Food insecurity is not only defined by having insufficient amounts of food, but also a diet that is lacking in quality, variety, or desirability. Food insecurity is highly correlated with financial challenges but may also be caused by physical or logistical challenges in accessing or cooking nutritious food.

Food insecurity has historically been higher in Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) than the Ontario average. However, prior to the pandemic, HPE was making gradual progress in reducing food insecurity.

Based on a household’s experience, they can be considered food secure or in one of 3 categories of food insecurity:

Marginal food insecurity: Worry about running out of food and/or limited food selection due to a lack of money for food.

Moderate food insecurity: Compromise in quality and/or quantity of food due to a lack of money for food.

Severe food insecurity: Miss meals, reduce food intake, and at the most extreme go day(s) without food.

Factors

Food insecurity isn’t caused by a lack of food. It results from not having enough financial resources to afford sufficient healthy, nutritious food. In Canada since 2019, food banks have seen a 90% increase in need in their various communities. (Food Banks Canada)

Rising food costs have the greatest impact on households with low income.

Canadian families of four could pay up to $800 more for groceries in 2025, the annual Canada Food Price Report predicts. Meat, vegetables, and fruit could jump by up to five per cent due to a weaker dollar and climate change.

Higher food costs have a greater impact on households with low incomes and on people who live with fixed incomes. (The Daily, Statistics Canada, Released: 2022-06-09)

People are food insecure because they lack the money to buy food. Especially vulnerable are households that rent their accommodations, those that are led by female single parents, single adults, those living with disabilities, racialized and immigrant households. (Community Food Centres Canada. Beyond Hunger: the hidden impacts of food insecurity)
Most food-insecure households are in the workforce. In 2021, 51.9% of food-insecure households reported their main source of income as wages, salaries, or self-employment. (PROOF Food Insecurity Policy Research, Household Food Insecurity in Canada)
Growth in precarious employment,lack of affordable housing and insufficient social assistance programs are the top three drivers of food bank usage. (Feed Ontario, Hunger Report 2020)
Most food insecure households do not access food banks. Only about 25% of food insecure households use food banks. Food Banks Canada surveys reveal that stigma is associated with charity and accessing food banks is a last resort. People will compromise on food to meet other financial obligations such as rent. (Food Banks Canada)
Lack of access to public transportationis a barrier to accessing food, especially for low-income seniors and young families in rural areas. (Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, “Community Food Assessment for Hastings and Prince Edward Counties)

Impact on Health

Impact on health

Lack of adequate nutritious food is a far-reaching problem. Poor diet quality and emotional strain negatively impact physical, mental and social health. (Community Food Centres Canada. Beyond Hunger: the hidden impacts of food insecurity)

In primary care, 1 dollar spent on nutrition interventions can save up to 99 dollars by reducing medication use, hospitalizations and freeing up physician time. (Canadian Malnutrition Task Force, Food in Healthcare)

Annual health care costs are 23-121% higher in food insecure households in Ontario.Up to 1 in 3 hospitalized children are malnourished upon admission and at risk of further deterioration which is associated with longer length of stay, increased risk of complications and higher costs.

How You Can Help

How you can help

Volunteer or donate to a local food program -- food banks, community pantries, volunteer drivers for grocery deliveries, food prep and cooking, community gardens, community meals -- there are many ways to help.

Participate in “Fresh for All”, a community of gardeners, businesses, organizations and individuals working together to share fresh food.
Donate toward food security through the Community Fund at The County Foundation
Support local organizations that increase literacy levels andfinancial empowerment
Donate your Aeroplan Miles to help offset travel costs for Community Food Centre of Canada partners.
Send your MP a letter asking them to end disability poverty today!
Support the passing of Bill C-22 for an improved Canada Disability Benefit
Advocate for saving farmland from development.

Food Security: Food Programs

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 02:40:59 -0400

Vital Signs Data

Community

Arts Culture Recreation

Economy

Employment / Workforce

Poverty Reduction

Collaborative Impact

Education

Educational Attainment

Educational Support

Collaborative Impact

Environment

Climate Resilience

Protection of farmland

Food Security

About Food Insecurity

Food Programs

Collaborative Impact

Health

Health Characteristics

Healthcare Services

Housing

Household Characteristics

Safety

Transportation

Transportation Services

Collaborative Impact

Food Programs

Updated December 2, 2025

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2.1: End hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.

Food Programs

An Empowering Approach

Lived Experience

Food Programs

People are food insecure because they lack the money to buy food. Especially vulnerable are households that rent their accommodations, those that are led by female single parents, single adults, those living with disabilities, racialized and immigrant households. (Community Food Centres Canada. Beyond Hunger: the hidden impacts of food insecurity)

Community organizations and volunteers in Prince Edward County work tirelessly to provide supplementary food to those in need. Although food banks are meant for short-term emergencies, providers are seeing a growing number of clients who rely on them regularly.

Food Bank – Picton United Church Food Bank
Delivery Service available
12 Chapel St. Picton
613-476-8516
Open Mondays from 5pm – 6:30pm (through December)
& Fridays from 9am – 12pm (year-round)
Closed December 20 through January 1
pictonunitedchurch.ca/pages/picton-food-bank

Food Bank – Wellington & District Storehouse Foodbank
Wellington Pentecostal Church
Delivery Service Available
Free hot meals delivered for seniors in Wellington, Consecon, Hillier
304 Niles Street Wellington
613-921-0991
Open Wednesdays 10am – 12pm & 1pm – 3pm or by appointment on other days
Closed Dec. 24 & Dec. 31, reopening Jan. 7/27
wellingtonfoodbank.org

Food Bank – The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army Church
46 Elizabeth St. Picton
613-476-3159
Tues. – Thurs. 9:00am to 12:00pm
southeasthealthline.ca/displayservice.aspx?id=151807

Community Pantry - Prince Edward Public Library (Picton Branch)

208 Main Street, Picton

Open Tuesday through Saturday (closed Dec. 25 & 26)

The community pantry is located on the lower level of the library and available to all who need it.

(613) 476-5962

Pet Food Bank - Humane Society HPE Mobile

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 10am – 3pm at the Storehouse Foodbank

Wellington Pentecostal Church, 304 Niles Street

humanesocietyhpe.ca

NOTE: The County Food Depot operated during COVID-19 shutdowns, from April 17, 2020 to June 25, 2021 (63 weeks), as a temporary outlet to provide supplementary food during the pandemic. The Food Depot was organized by The Food Collective and ran entirely with volunteers who contributed an estimated 2900 hours of their time to distribute 2,937 hampers of food to County residents.

PEC Fresh

PEC Fresh Good Food Market is a community market helping people across the County stretch their grocery dollars and access affordable fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. There are three community market locations, in Picton, Sophiasburgh and Consecon.

Contact Prince Edward Learning Centre
97 Main St. Unit 10, Picton (Sobeys Plaza)
https://www.facebook.com/pecfresh/
613-476-1811

Good Food Box

The Hub – Child & Family Centre is a depot, #5 McFarland Dr. Picton

613-476-3952 or cell: 613-503-2179
cdcquinte.com/good-food-box

Order an all veggie bag and/or an all fruit bag for affordable prices, cash only.

For Seniors

Meals on Wheels – hot & frozen meals
Prince Edward Community Care for Seniors
www.communitycareforseniors.org
74 A King St. Picton
613-476-7493 info@communitycareforseniors.org

Delivery to your door up to 5 days / week anywhere in Prince Edward County. A hot nutritious noon-time meal means daily contact with a volunteer to help seniors stay safe and well in their home. Prince Edward Community Care offers both hot and frozen meal to seniors 60+, clients of Hospice Prince Edward or the Alzheimer Society of Prince Edward County who are referred directly by either agency. Client fees are kept low and can be reduced or waived in special circumstances.

Seniors 60+ – Free pick up & delivery of groceries
Prince Edward Community Care offers free pick up & delivery of groceries, medicines, library books and other essentials. This free delivery program is available to all seniors 60+. Seniors who need help to place a grocery order by email or online can also call Prince Edward Community Care for this free service. Deliveries from the PEC Fresh Food Market are also made to seniors. To make arrangements call The Prince Edward County Community Care for Seniors Association at 613-476-7493.

Free hot meals delivered for seniors in Wellington, Consecon, Hillier
provided through Wellington StoreHouse Foodbank
613-849-7403 (Linda) or 613 827-8881 (Cynthia)
wellingtonfoodbank.org

For Youth, Children & Babies

theROC Youth Services
299 Main St. Picton
613-476-1462 (Youth Centre)
theroc.ca

Lunches and hygiene products are available through the school year for students (grades 9-12) and youth up to 24, at no cost to participants. Frozen meals from Food to Share are also available to take home, as well as nutrition jars with ready-to-make oatmeal or soup — just add water!

Food for Learning, Student Emergency Fund & Food for Home
Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation
www.hpefoodforlearning.ca
Students need to connect with their teacher or principal to access the following programs

Food for Learning – ensures that all students have daily access to healthy nutritious food while at school.

Student Emergency Fund – gives immediate assistance to students, and perhaps their families, by providing financial aid and/or gift-in-kind support.
This funding could be used to purchase items such as eyeglasses, EpiPens, medical supplies, food and clothing, transportation, to subsidize field trips, or to assist with additional financial needs that result from family crises (fire, flood, layoffs, illness, etc).
Food for Home – provides support for food during non-school times during the school year ie. December & March Break)

Since the onset of Covid, schools are seeing more students coming with no or very little lunch. In 2021, the Learning Foundation expanded the Food for Home program and now offers Nutrition Pantries in 5 schools with PECI being the newest starting in January 2022. The Nutrition Pantry provides a supply of nutritious food items that students can access at school and take home to prepare while allowing them the make selections based on dietary needs.

Donations are always appreciated to ensure that the Nutrition Pantries can continue next school year and perhaps even expand to other schools. As well, grocery gift cards in the hands of Principals are an effective way to provide support. They are very connected to students and families and can get the cards quickly into the hands of those who need them.

Good Baby Box

The Hub – Child & Family Centre is a depot, #5 McFarland Dr. Picton

613-476-3952 or cell: 613-503-2179
cdcquinte.com/good-food-box

A weekly program that helps you stretch your baby food budget and is available throughout Hastings & Prince Edward County. Available items for pick up include formula, diapers, wipes, and specialty items.

Community Gardens

Picton Community Gardens
Located at Picton’s Delhi Park. We grow food for our families, the food banks & community groups.

facebook.com/PictonCommunityGarden

Wellington Community Gardens
You and we grow together, food for family, friends and the community. Join us in growing our own food.

Community Gardeners of Prince Edward County
facebook.com/groups/207586142928769

Community Meals

Check for seasonal events at the Community Calendar at 99.3 County FM

Community Suppers at the H.O.P.E. Centre, Picton

46 King Street, Picton

Community suppers every second Monday at 5:30pm. Everyone welcome!

Free will offerings are welcome.

(613) 922-5278

Community Suppers at St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Wellington

244 Main Street, Wellington

4:30pm – 6:30pm, 3rd Wednesday of each month

Free will donations or food bank items gratefully accepted.

(613) 399-1774

Soup's On at St. Andrew's Anglican Church Hall, Wellington

244 Main Street, Wellington

Tuesdays 11:30am – 1pm

All welcome. Enjoy a hot bowl of soup, roll and a cookie.

Sponsored by St. Andrew's Anglican and Wellington United Churches. Free will donations gratefully accepted.

(613) 399-1774

PEC Food Collective Community Suppers

Meals in rotating locations around the County, beginning in January 2026

For more details as they are announced follow PEC Food Collective on Facebook

Food to Share

Freshly prepared and healthy meals are distributed to the Storehouse Foodbank in Wellington, The Picton United Church County Food Bank, Kate’s Rest, the Picton Salvation Army Food Bank, the ROC Youth Services and PECI.
https://www.facebook.com/p/Food-to-share-100068039151518/

County Food Hub

County Food Hub is a leading-edge certified commercial “sharing” kitchen, providing chefs, caterers, home cooks, food product developers with industry-best equipment, space, time and storage to serve their diverse needs.

Born out of the availability of excess space of an elementary school scheduled for closure, County Food Hub is an exemplar of how to ensure a stronger commitment to rural education while supporting the needs of a vital culinary industry and developing a broader commitment to sustainable healthy food development and education.
406 County Rd 15 (Sophiasburgh School)
Prince Edward County
www.countyfoodhub.com

An Empowering Approach

An Empowering Approach to Food Security

Where possible, food programs aim to provide dignity of choice by offering grocery gift cards, access to fresh produce at wholesale prices through initiatives like PEC Fresh Market, and a shopping-style experience instead of traditional food hampers, as seen at the Picton Food Bank.
The Food To Share model of cooking bees that provide hands-on training and general education opportunities for people from all walks of life was very well-received by those who have been through it and is appealing for those at-risk or currently experiencing food insecurity.
A survey of food bank clients indicates that food security solutions should involve those with lived experience. In PEC, 50% of recent food bank clients and 38% of those who are worried about money for food, want to get involved and help themselves while helping others. (Farrell Insight, Living With Food Insecurity in PEC, Prepared for The Food Collective September 2019)

Interview

Interview - Lived Experience

An interview with Linda Downey, Past President of the Wellington & District Storehouse Foodbank, highlights changes in food security needs since the onset of the pandemic, challenges of food supply chains, the generous community support that enables them to help the most vulnerable in our community, and about the stigma associated with food banks. Linda encourages anyone who needs food to please reach out. Anyone can be vulnerable at any time.

The County Food Collective is working toward an innovative, empowering approach to food security (based on feedback from those affected by food insecurity, front-line workers, and research projects). The goals are:

Central co-ordination: to make the best use of limited resources; to ensure equitable access throughout the County; to work toward stable funding.
To connect people with resources: such as affordable housing, benefits screening, skill upgrades, group cooking sessions, community gardens ...
To be accessible: located in welcoming and accessible environments; centres would be open more often; offer home delivery options; have satellite food depots/fresh market truck.
To empower clients: create opportunities for clients to give back, to be part of the solution to food insecurity; distribute grocery cards so people can buy what they actually need.
To reduce stigma: improve the experience; anyone could be vulnerable at any time but stigma is a barrier to accessing food banks.

Lived Experience

Interview - Lived Experience

Anyone can experience vulnerability at any time. Linda Downey, Past President of the Wellington & District Storehouse Foodbank, is committed to giving back to the community as a way to repay the kindness she received during a time of need. In this interview, she discusses the evolving food security needs since the pandemic began, the challenges in food supply chains, the generous community support that helps them assist the most vulnerable, and the stigma surrounding food bank use. Linda encourages anyone in need of food to reach out for support.

Food Security: Collaborative Impact

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 02:43:50 -0400

Vital Signs Data

Community

Arts Culture Recreation

Economy

Employment / Workforce

Poverty Reduction

Collaborative Impact

Education

Educational Attainment

Educational Support

Collaborative Impact

Environment

Climate Resilience

Protection of farmland

Food Security

About Food Insecurity

Food Programs

Collaborative Impact

Health

Health Characteristics

Healthcare Services

Housing

Household Characteristics

Safety

Transportation

Transportation Services

Collaborative Impact

Food Security: Collaborative Impact

September 15, 2025

The PEC Food Collective, comprised of 11 local organizations, continues to work toward the vision of … “A community where every person and family has nutritious, affordable food at home.”

Food Collective projects include advocating for system and policy changes that address the root causes of food insecurity.

Projects & Research

Food Collective Evolution

Projects & Research

Projects

Key initiatives include:

2025 Primary Objective: Provide PEC residents with access to nutritious, affordable food — directly or indirectly.
2025 Secondary Objective: Highlight to our community that the PEC Food Collective is working together to tackle food insecurity.

A Community Gardens pilot project in Picton
A long-term Food Security Collective Impact project
The establishment of a temporary Food Depot during COVID-19 to address immediate needs.
Food security recommendations.

Research

2018 Food Security Theory of Change
2019 Report: Using Information to Mobilize a Community: Food Security in Prince Edward County
2019 Food & Food Insecurity PEC Survey, The Food Collective
2021 Food Collective Research Audit
2021 Food Priority Survey of PEC residents who identify as sometimes being short on food
2021 The County Food Collective Plan

A significant outcome of the initial phase in 2018 was articulation of a Food Security Theory of Change.

Vision: every person in PEC has the means to consistently access and consume nutritious, affordable food

4 Key Strategies:

Working together (planning, communicating, acquiring & sharing resources, engaging diverse stakeholders)
Shifting attitudes & behaviours (increasing public awareness & engagement, developing food skills & knowledge, ‘normalizing’/integrating food into other activities, supporting self-advocacy)
Transforming the local food system (promoting local food, leveraging public assets, more accessible, affordable transportation options)
Political & financial support (educating policymakers, financial support, better jobs & fair wages, affordable living)

» Theory of Change report

Food Collective Evolution

Evolution of the Food Collective

Food Security was prioritized

The 2013 Vital Signs Advisory Committee prioritized three issue areas from the report: Food Security, Learning and Transportation. Working groups were formed to define priorities and projects in these three areas.

2015

First phase of a long-term Food Security Collective Impact project

Food Systems and Community Leadership - Funding from Community Foundations of Canada and Loblaw’s Companies Limited augmented a Stage One Collective Impact grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) and funds from a private local donor to carry out the first phase of long-term Food Security Collective Impact project.

2018

The Food Collective was formed

The Food Collective was formed to collaborate around the strategies in the Theory of Change.

2019

Establishment of the temporary Food Depot during COVID-19

The Food Collective opened The County Food Depot as a short-term project to ride alongside the Food Banks during Covid-19. The supplementary, ‘no cost’ food program supplied 2,930 food hampers from April 17, 2020 and through June 25, 2021. Food Depot volunteers donated almost 3,000 hours over a 63 week period.

2020

Research Project: Food Security in PEC

The three-month project supported the Food Collective’s annual plan and aimed to: increase food collective member engagement, increase best practice knowledge in engaging food insecure residents in food programming and income support programs, and begin long-term planning for food programs.

Relaunch of the Collective

The PEC Food Collective relaunched with the support of the The County Foundation’s Vital Impact Fund grant. This relaunch will be marked by a project — or several projects — designed to address food insecurity in a coordinated, sustainable way by the 11 members of the Collective. The County Food Collective was renamed and branded as "PEC Food Collective".

2013-2015

Community Gardens pilot

The Vital Signs Food Security working group partnered with Hastings-Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) to initiate a community garden project in Prince Edward County (Picton's Delhi Park).

The pilot project works with established programs that have been successful in making fresh local food more accessible to all in the community such as Fresh for All, Food to Share and Food Not Bombs.

2017-18

Food Security Theory of Change was developed

Vision: every person in PEC has the means to consistently access and consume nutritious, affordable food.

2019

Rural Ontario funded project

Focused on:
Building community awareness and engagement
Developing skills and knowledge
Improving access

2020-21

Initiation of the PEC Fresh Market pilot

Procurement and distribution of fresh, affordable food linked to local suppliers https://www.facebook.com/pecfresh/

Vital Signs community data, Prince Edward County - Data , Food Security

Food Insecurity

Vital Signs Data

About Food Insecurity

​Prevalence of food insecurity

​Prevalence of food insecurity

Factors

Impact on health

How you can help

Food Security: Food Programs

Vital Signs Data

Food Programs

​Food Programs

​Food Programs

​An Empowering Approach to Food Security

​Interview - Lived Experience

​Interview - Lived Experience

Food Security: Collaborative Impact

Vital Signs Data

Food Security: Collaborative Impact

Food Security: Collaborative Impact

​Projects

Research

​Evolution of the Food Collective

​Evolution of the Food Collective

Food Security was prioritized

2015

First phase of a long-term Food Security Collective Impact project

2018

The Food Collective was formed

2019

Establishment of the temporary Food Depot during COVID-19

2020

Research Project: Food Security in PEC

Relaunch of the Collective

2013-2015

Community Gardens pilot

2017-18

Food Security Theory of Change was developed

2019

Rural Ontario funded project

2020-21

Initiation of the PEC Fresh Market pilot

2021

2025

Prevalence of food insecurity

Prevalence of food insecurity

Food Programs

Food Programs

An Empowering Approach to Food Security

Interview - Lived Experience

Interview - Lived Experience

Projects

Evolution of the Food Collective

Evolution of the Food Collective