Your Impact in October 2025

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What's in Our November Newsletter?

1. Your Impact in October
2. HungerCount 2025
3. Holiday Hamper Program

4. Food Pantry Wishlist

6. Volunteer Spotlight

7. Volunteer Recruitment

8. Community Highlights

9. Events & Updates

Hey, neighbours!

Bridges to Hope is committed to providing dignified and accessible assistance to those experiencing food insecurity. Our vision is a community where all of our neighbours have access to nutritious and culturally-appropriate food.

In this issue of our newsletter, we reflect on our collective impact in October, share updates on some ongoing and upcoming programming, and extend some well-deserved thanks to our supporters. Keep reading to learn more!

Food Hampers

Last month, we served a total of 1472 individuals experiencing food insecurity in the St. John's-Metro region.

Children Served

In October, we served 503 children (aged 0-17), representing just over one-third of total visits to our food bank.

Seniors Served

Our food pantry served 119 seniors (aged 60+) last month. That's a staggering 42% increase compared to the beginning of 2025.

HungerCount Report 2025

Across Canada, food bank visits reached a historic high in 2025.

Food bank usage has nearly doubled from six years ago: in March 2025, there were 2.2 million visits to food banks in Canada. Alarmingly, nearly 20% of food bank clients report employment as their primary source of income. These figures underscore a growing affordability crisis as food and housing costs continue to rise faster than wages.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, food bank visits have climbed 44% since 2019, with nearly one in three users being children. Our province also has one of the highest proportions of food bank clients depending on income support programs, reflecting the impact of inflation and housing costs on fixed-income households.

At Bridges to Hope, we’re seeing the same trend close to home. Each month, more than 1500 people visit our food bank for assistance, marking a 70% increase since 2019. These numbers reflect not only the continued rise in need across our province, but also the vital role community support plays in ensuring none of our neighbours are left behind.

While we know that food banks cannot solve these policy issues, food assistance programs like ours are a critical lifeline for so many in our community right now. We need strong action by all levels of government to move the needle on food insecurity.

See the full report and Food Banks Canada’s policy recommendations here.

In partnership with Rotary Club of St. John's, Bridges to Hope will provide grocery gift cards to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity this holiday season.

- Applications Open: Monday, November 17, 9:00 AM

- Applications Close: Friday, November 21, 1:00 PM

The application form will be available online at bridgestohope.ca, by phone at (709) 722-9225, or in person during food pantry hours.

Please note this program has limited capacity. All applicants will be contacted directly about the status of their application.

November Food Pantry Wish List

Baby Formula

Baby formula is a vital item for families with infants who visit our food bank.

Granola Bars

Granola bars are a convenient and nutritious snack for all ages, and they’re an essential part of our kids’ school snack kits.

Cereal/Oatmeal

Cereal and oatmeal are pantry staples that offer nourishment for everyone, from kids to seniors in our community.

Volunteer Spotlight

Every day at Bridges to Hope, volunteers work tirelessly to deliver critical community support. Our mission would simply not be possible without this incredible team.

For the month of November, we’re highlighting John M! John is one of our dedicated van drivers. On Mondays, John helps us with shopping and donation pick up, ensuring our pantry has what it needs to serve our neighbours throughout the week.

We caught up with John to ask him about his volunteer involvement:

When did you start volunteering with Bridges to Hope?

I started volunteering with Bridges To Hope in January of 2024.

What is your favourite part of volunteering at Bridges to Hope?
I have always felt that it is important to give back to the community that you live and work in. Understanding community needs helps to foster empathy and self-efficacy. Volunteering brings people together from diverse backgrounds, fostering camaraderie and a stronger sense of community for everyone.

Tell us a fun fact about you!

I love animals and have a myriad number of pets.
I'm an avid motorcycle enthusiast and rider.
Since I was a child, I enjoy decorating for Holidays.

Thanks for being a part of our team, John. People like you make our community stronger!

Volunteer Applications Open

Looking to get more involved in our community? We are currently accepting applications for a variety of volunteer roles.

Both morning and afternoon shifts are available. If you would like more information or to apply, please click here. If you have any questions about volunteer opportunities at Bridges to Hope, please reach out to us at volunteer@bridgestohope.ca.

Volunteer groups from companies and organizations are also welcome!

Community Highlights

Haunting on Winnipeg Street

We are truly grateful to Roger and Denise for hosting their annual "A Haunting on Winnipeg Street' in support of our food pantry.

We received over 900 pounds of food items that we were able to pass on to our clients, generously donated by our caring community through this event.

Our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported!

PetValu Churchill Square

Our sincere thanks to PetValu Churchill Square, St. John's, for their Round Up Fur Love Program and for gathering donations throughout October in support of our food pantry.

Thank you to PetValu and all who contributed!

Beltone Hearing Centre

We’re so grateful to our friends at Beltone Canada for their generous $1000 donation and for hosting a food drive in support of our pantry!

These contributions help ensure more than 1500 of our neighbours have access to nutritious food.

Thank you to the whole team at Beltone for their continued support!

Holy Heart Interact Club

It's so amazing to see young people take initiative to relieve hunger in our region. These wonderful students from the Interact Club at Holy Heart High School recently held their annual “We Scare Hunger” food drive in support of our food pantry

They went door-to-door in the neighbourhood collecting food and personal care items. In the end, they collected a total of 925 pounds! Well done to all involved.

Sowing Seeds - Growing Community

We received a generous donation of 40 pounds of turnip from Sowing Seeds - Growing Community!

This kind gesture helped us continue to provide fresh, nutritious produce to the many families who visit our food bank.

Thanks to Reverend Marshall and the whole team for their efforts.

Canadian Veteran Freedom Riders

A big thank you to Canadian Veteran Freedom Riders St John’s. They stopped by with a generous donation in support of our food pantry!

Year after year, their kindness helps fuel our mission.

Thank you so much for your continued support.

CFUW donation to Bridges to Hope

Thanks to the Canadian Federation of University Women St. John's Chapter for their generous donation! This contribution will be used to purchase personal care items for our food pantry.

CFUW St. John's are regular supporter of Bridges to Hope, and we are so grateful for their continued support.

Gower Street Food Drive

A heartfelt thank you to Gower Street United Church for hosting a food drive in support of our pantry throughout the month of October.

Your continued support helps us reach more people experiencing food insecurity.

Thank you!

Sharing the Harvest NL

There’s no better example of Neighbours Feeding Neighbours than this: Barry’s neighbour let him pick some apples from his garden to donate to our food pantry! A simple act of kindness that perfectly reflects what we’re about.

It’s been a beautiful and bountiful harvest season. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to share locally grown food with us this year!

Avalon Celtics U15C

The Avalon Celtics U15C team are collecting snack items at their upcoming home games (Nov 4, 11, and 18). Then, the whole team will be joining us to assemble school snack kits for the families who visit our food pantry!

What a wonderful way to give back to the community. Go Celtics!

Egg Farmers of NL

Many thanks to Egg Farmers in Newfoundland and Labrador for their monthly donations of eggs to help us serve our neighbours.

Your support ensures that over 1500 people have continued access to a fresh protein option.

Thanks to our Kind and Caring Community

Our work would not be possible without the support from our neighbours for our neighbours.

Thank you to all of our supporters, volunteers, and donors. Together, we are making an immediate difference in our community.

Events & Updates

Upcoming: Coleman's Food Drives

We're hosting some food drives in the month of November!

- Monday November 17 from 10:00 to 4:00 at Coleman’s Newfoundland Drive (St John's)

- Thursday November 27 from 10:00 to 4:00 at Coleman’s Mount Pearl

Bring along a non-perishable food item and be part of this wonderful community effort as we head into the holiday season. To see our food pantry's most-needed items list, visit our website.

Upcoming: Miracle on Cookstown Road 2025

The holidays are a season of joy for many, but for some families, it's a time of stress and worry as they face added financial pressures.

Our Miracle on Cookstown Road campaign aims to make things a little brighter for these families, not just during the holidays but all year-round.

Stay in touch with our social media pages to follow along.

CBC's The Signal with Adam Walsh

Our Executive Director, Lesley Burgess, joined other local food banks on CBC Radio to discuss Food Banks Canada’s 2025 HungerCount Report and what we’re seeing on the ground as we head into the holiday season.

Lesley emphasized the need for all levels of government to take urgent action to address the poverty crisis in Newfoundland and Labrador. She also took the time to thank the people in St. John's and beyond who have joined hands to address the issue. You can catch the full program here.

A New Way to Contact Us

Wondering our drop-in hours? Looking to book an after-hours appointment? You can now reach us by text message at (709) 771-4454.

As always, you can still reach us on our landline at (709) 722-9225, or by email at info@bridgestohope.ca.

Join us in making a greater impact! Share our mission on social media and help us reach even more of our neighbours in need.

PS: If this email landed in your spam or promotions folder, please move it to your inbox or add us to your safe sender list so you don't miss future updates.

37 Cookstown Rd, St. John's NL A1C 4G7
info@bridgestohope.ca
(709) 722-9225

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