At dusk, the Manna Food Bank in Bracebridge still had a steady stream of visitors when I arrived. The weathered brick building on Monck Road doesn’t announce itself loudly, but for hundreds of Muskoka families, it’s become an essential lifeline in an increasingly expensive region.
I came to understand what a typical single parent might experience when using the food bank. With housing costs in Muskoka continuing their relentless climb and grocery prices up nearly 9% year-over-year across Ontario, the squeeze on working families has intensified.
“We’re seeing new faces every week,” said Sam Gilchrist, who has volunteered at Manna for over five years. “Many of them tell me they never thought they’d need a food bank. They have jobs but just can’t stretch their paychecks far enough anymore.”
Inside, the process begins with a brief intake—a system designed to preserve dignity while ensuring equitable distribution. Each client receives a selection based on family size. For my simulation of a single parent with two school-aged children, I received approximately three days’ worth of groceries.
My allocation included staples like pasta, rice, and canned vegetables. The bread section offered several choices, though fewer than earlier in the week. Fresh produce included apples, carrots, and potatoes—items often in short supply at food banks but prioritized here through community partnerships with local farms.
“We make special efforts for families with children,” explained Margaret Harrold, Manna’s operations coordinator. “We know how important proper nutrition is for developing minds, so we try to include items that make complete meals, not just fillers.”
What struck me was both what was available and what wasn’t. The dairy section had yogurt cups for the children but limited milk. Protein sources—typically the most expensive items at grocery stores—were the most constrained category, with one package of ground beef available for my simulated family, along with canned tuna and beans.
According to Feed Ontario’s 2023 Hunger Report, food bank usage across the province has increased 38% since 2019, with families with children representing the fastest-growing demographic. Muskoka’s numbers track even higher, with a 42% increase reported at local food banks.
Nicole Mullen, a real single mother who agreed to share her experience, described her first visit to Manna last year: “I work full-time in healthcare, but after rent and utilities, there’s barely $200 left for everything else—food, clothes for growing kids, school supplies. Coming here felt like failure at first, but they treated me with such respect.”
The Manna experience reveals several realities about food insecurity in our community. First, it’s often invisible—affecting working families whose struggles don’t show on the surface. Second, the nutritional challenges persist despite best efforts—fresh produce, dairy and protein remain difficult to access consistently.
Town councillor Brenda Rhodes acknowledged the growing problem during last month’s council meeting: “We’re seeing working families—people with jobs—having to choose between paying rent or buying groceries. That’s not the Muskoka we want.”
What doesn’t fit neatly into statistics are the psychological effects. Several parents I spoke with described the emotional toll of food insecurity—the stress of meal planning on minimal resources, the guilt when children ask for seconds that aren’t available.
“My kids understand we have to be careful with food,” Mullen shared. “But no parent wants their child to have to understand that.”
The experience also highlighted gaps that even the most well-run food banks can’t fill. Personal hygiene products, cleaning supplies, and special dietary items remain in chronically short supply. During my visit, there were no diapers available—an expense that can consume up to $100 monthly from a struggling family’s budget.
The District of Muskoka’s latest Community Assessment Report identified food security as a top concern, with 14.7% of households experiencing some form of food insecurity, compared to the provincial average of 13.3%.
School nutrition programs help bridge some gaps. The Trillium Lakelands District School Board now offers breakfast or snack programs in all elementary schools, recognizing that learning is compromised when children are hungry.
“We see the difference immediately,” said Rebecca Andrews, a Grade 3 teacher at Monck Public School. “When children are properly fed, behavior problems decrease, attention spans increase. Food is foundational.”
As I left Manna with my three days’ worth of groceries, the reality set in—for many families, this modest allotment must stretch further than intended. Most clients can visit just once monthly, meaning these supplies represent only a partial solution to a persistent problem.
Local businesses are stepping up. The Independent Grocer in Bracebridge recently expanded its food recovery program, ensuring unsold but perfectly good food reaches Manna instead of landfills. Last year, this initiative alone provided over 7,000 pounds of fresh food to the bank.
The experience at Manna reveals both community strength and systemic challenges. While volunteers work tirelessly to fill immediate needs, the underlying causes of food insecurity—insufficient wages, high housing costs, and inadequate social supports—remain largely unaddressed.
For Muskoka’s working parents, the struggle continues largely out of public view. Behind the region’s picturesque facades and tourist destinations, families are making impossible choices daily—choices that no parent should face in a province as prosperous as Ontario.
