Ignite Durham Learning Foundation Calls on Community to Help Students and Families Facing Food Insecurity

September is Hunger Action Month, a time to shine a light on the growing challenge of food insecurity across Durham Region. The Ignite Durham Learning Foundation (IDLF) is sounding the alarm: 1 in 4 children in our community lives in a food-insecure household, that’s 25% of students walking through Durham District School Board (DDSB) doors every day. 

As a registered charity, IDLF is not a food bank. Instead, it provides direct, dignified support to students and families through the Make A Difference Depot Nutrition Pantry and school-based nutrition programs. In 2024/2025 alone, IDLF distributed over $80,000 in grocery gift cards and more than $150,000 in food hampers, while also helping to stock school snack and meal programs so that every child has the fuel they need to learn. 

“Working in education, nothing is harder to see than a child trying to learn while their stomach is empty,” says Stacey Lepine-Fisher, Executive Director, Ignite Durham Learning Foundation. “Food insecurity is no longer a rare emergency; it’s a daily reality for far too many of our students and families.” 

IDLF supports are distributed through DDSB educators, allowing families to access help with dignity and without stigma, when they need it most. But the demand is growing, and shelves must stay stocked. 

That’s why IDLF is launching a $100,000 Community Challenge this fall, asking individuals, businesses, and community groups to step forward with monetary donations, in-kind food contributions, and volunteer support to ensure no student goes hungry. 

How You Can Help: 

• Donate – Every dollar helps put groceries on the table. 

• Run a Food Drive – Organize a collection at your workplace, place of worship, or neighbourhood. 

• Volunteer – Join the effort to sort, stock, and distribute food to families in need. 

“Every dollar, every can of food, every hour of volunteer time makes a difference,” says Jen Sims, Lead, Make A Difference Depot. “With Thanksgiving, winter break, and other high-demand times approaching, we need the community’s support now more than ever. Together, we can make sure no student in Durham goes hungry.” 

For information, to donate, or to get involved, visit IDLF.