Central Food Network (CFN) set a new record in January, receiving 80 calls for emergency support through the Haliburton County Heat Bank.
Ordinarily, the non-profit helps around 120 households navigate the cold-weather seasons by providing firewood and one-time grants for hydro, propane and furnace oil, but Kat Schouten, CFN’s communications and donor engagement coordinator, expects that number to be higher this year.
“We’re seeing increases across the board but are seeing it most starkly through the heat bank. We’ve had months where we’ve had large influxes of calls, but in January the phone did not stop ringing,” Schouten said.
In January 2025, CFN received requests from 50 households, which Schouten said was a 45 per cent increase from 2024. Of the 80 calls this year, CFN assisted on 69. Among those receiving help were 50 adults, 34 children and 45 seniors.
Also in January, CFN helped five families tap into money through the Ontario Electricity Support Program, unlocking $3,012 in annual benefits.
“It’s been a tough winter, and people are really feeling the impact of it, especially those on fixed incomes,” Schouten said, with the recent rise in oil prices – leading to increased costs across the board – sparking another hike in call volumes.
Numbers are also up at CFN’s food banks in Wilberforce and Cardiff. Schouten said 116 families were provided with groceries in January, with 184 adults and 57 children served through 323 visits. Another 30 families received hampers from volunteer drivers.
Donate a car
With demand at an all-time high, Schouten said CFN is coming up with new ways for people to support its operations. In December, the organization partnered with Donate a Car Canada, giving area residents the chance to gift proceeds raised from old vehicles to charity. The new program rolled out in early March.
“With the way things are today, people might not be able to give out of their pocket, but if they’ve got an old vehicle this could be the perfect opportunity to put it to good use. We accept cars, trucks, RVs, boats and motorcycles,” Schouten said, noting the donations go through Donate a Car Canada.
The national association has been in place since 2003 and accepts vehicles whether they’re running or not. Pickup is organized within 48 hours and charities usually receive payment within two weeks. Charitable receipts are mailed out to donors, Schouten said.
“Conversations around fundraising have been evolving quite a bit with the increases we’re seeing across all programs. We’re trying to find new ways to make it easier for people to donate and to create avenues for people outside of traditional giving,” Schouten said.
Depending on whether the car is scrapped or sold at auction, the proceeds could be hundreds or thousands of dollars. Schouten said CFN analyzed its donations and spending in 2024 and calculated that every dollar donated created over $5 of impact across all programs.
While there haven’t been any donated vehicles yet, Schouten thinks it could be a popular program – helping people declutter their properties whilst supporting the most vulnerable part of our community.
“We always say that we’re neighbours helping neighbours. Everybody needs help sometimes to get them out of a hard time or make it to next week,” Schouten said. “An old vehicle that probably doesn’t mean [much to you] will make a huge difference to others.”
With federal taxes due by the end of April, Schouten said CFN is running free clinics to help those on modest incomes and with simple tax situations to file.
Clinics are scheduled in-person and by appointment and are available until April 30. Schouten said filing tax returns unlocks financial benefits such as the federal ‘baby bonus’, GST and HST rebates and the Ontario Trillium Benefit. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 705-306-0565.
