Durham Hunger Action Month will bring all eight local municipalities together for a regional food and fundraising drive as community agencies report continued pressure on emergency food programs.
Residents can donate non-perishable food at participating municipal locations from September 9 to October 5, 2026. Online financial donations are also being accepted, and residents can volunteer with Feed the Need in Durham.
Demand remains high across Durham
According to information released for the campaign, more than 880,000 visits were made last year to the roughly 70 food programs in Durham’s network. Feed the Need in Durham says one in four households in the region identifies as food insecure.
Those figures help explain why Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Oshawa, Pickering, Scugog, Uxbridge and Whitby are participating in a single regional effort. The campaign is intended to collect supplies while also drawing attention to the number of local households that have difficulty consistently accessing enough food.
How residents can help
Each municipality will identify its own drop-off sites. Residents should check their municipality’s official website before travelling, because hours and participating facilities may differ. Financial contributions can be made online through the campaign, while volunteer opportunities are available through Feed the Need in Durham.
Organizers are asking donors to focus on useful shelf-stable products rather than items that may be expired, damaged or difficult for food programs to distribute. Municipal campaign pages provide current lists of the most-needed items.
The 2026 drive follows previous region-wide Hunger Action Month campaigns. Food and money collected through the initiative support Feed the Need in Durham and other community food organizations serving residents across the region.
Campaign runs into early October
Although September is recognized as Hunger Action Month, this year’s municipal collection continues until October 5. That longer window gives residents, workplaces and community groups several weeks to organize donations.
People who are unable to reach a drop-off site can still participate through an online donation or by asking Feed the Need in Durham about volunteer needs. The campaign is open across Durham Region and is not limited to residents of a particular municipality.
Sources: Durham Radio News; City of Pickering
