Ottawa Food Bank provides fresh and non-perishable food and other essentials to more than 100 agencies across the city.  For decades, food banks have been the temporary solution to hunger caused by poverty. Many food banks, including Ottawa, are seeking to address the circumstances that bring people to an emergency food program.

The Centre supported the Ottawa Food Bank and the University of Ottawa to conduct one of the first Canadian longitudinal research studies of novel food banking strategies used by 11 emergency food programs in Ottawa. This research found that those who visited food banks integrated with community resource centres were more likely to experience improved food security outcomes over time compared to those visiting other food bank models. Food bank locations that offered a “choice model” resulted in increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as increased feelings of dignity.

The Centre is now supporting Ottawa Food Bank to put this research into practice by testing and evaluating the relative impact of different models and services on reducing food insecurity. OFB will scale the work to an additional 3 Community Health Resource Centres and provide supports at least 13 community food banks. The goal is to test the efficacy of three different approaches, reflecting resources available in different food bank and community resource settings.