Feeding The Future | Cambridge Food Bank

May 7, 2025May 7, 2025

Cambridge Food Bank searching for bigger space as demand grows

Although the Cambridge Food Bank still has four years remaining on its lease, increased demand is pushing them to search for a larger space and consider relocating sooner than anticipated.

The existing food bank location is 16,000 square feet and is equipped to serve a up to 800 people each month.

“But now we’re serving more than 2,000 families a month, and it’s become quite difficult to manage,” said Cambridge Food Bank CEO Dianne McLeod.

“That’s why we’re not waiting until our lease ends, because we’re really, really desperate to find a new location just because of the lack of space in this building.”

The food bank operates in a single long, narrow hallway that makes it difficult for staff and volunteers to manoeuvre carts loaded with food a dozen times a day.

McLeod said they can’t use powered equipment in the space.

“It’s very hard on our team’s backs because it’s so small in here,” she said. “We distribute over a million pounds of food and all of that is hand lifted.”

Due to the rising demand, the food bank has resorted to storing some food off-site and in the office space on the second floor.

Cambridge Food Bank begin search for new location

After more than 20 years on Ainslie Street South, the Cambridge Food Bank is looking for a new location.

Dianne McLeod, the CEO of the Cambridge Food Bank, said the increase in demand has caused the location to run out of space. She describes it as a series of small rooms and single hallway, saying the organization moves food around several times before it goes out the door.

“We move it approximately five times before it gets out to the people in need,” said McLeod. “To do that, we’re going up and down a narrow hallway dozens of times a day moving food up and down because the room where we distribute food is at the front of the building.”

The push is on for a new Cambridge Food Bank location

The food bank’s 2025 capital campaign is focusing on securing a new home

“It doesn’t take long walking through the Cambridge Food Bank to realize space is tight.

On any given day, bins and boxes of food fill sorting spaces, hallways and even offices.

Staff make due but as demand continues to rise, it’s becoming clear that a larger, more functional space is required to adequately provide the needed service to the community.

It’s why executive director Dianne McLeod and her team are focusing a capital campaign around finding a new location.”