Coldest night fundraiser blasts Picton food bank goal by 200 per cent

Story and photos by Sharon Harrison
In the first eight weeks of 2026, visits to the Picton United Church Food Bank increased more than 40 per cent, with new clients making up the majority.

Over the past five years, visits have more than doubled, reaching 4,800-plus in 2024 (which is more than the entire 4,508 population of Picton, per 2021 Census data), with one in three recipients being children.

The last day of the shortest month of the year, Feb. 28th, saw the Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk in Picton – one of more than 200 communities across Canada that took part in the walk on this day. Locally, participating communities included Belleville, Trenton, Port Hope, Cobourg, Napanee and Kingston.

The Picton United Church Food Bank’s $30,000 fundraising goal was greatly surpassed by 215 per cent, with $64,653 raised, and still counting.

County Huggers was the top team, raising $14,020 (their goal was $2,500), led by captain Tara Wood.

It was a great evening for a walk for a cause, warm enough to be pleasant in the early evening sunshine, but cold enough by the end of the walks (especially with a brisk wind picking up along with the setting sun) to act as a reminder of those individuals who are experiencing homeless, are unhoused, living on the streets and are food insecure, especially during a long, cold snowy winter.

It was a packed Prince Edward Community Centre as a large crowd filled the hall before partaking in one of two walks around Picton, enjoying either a five kilometre loop, or the shorter two kilometre one.

The Picton United Church Foodbank fundraiser purpose for Saturday night was to raise funds for food security, but also to foster community engagement. But the family-friendly fundraising walk also supports other local organizations that assist people experiencing hunger, homelessness and other hardships.

The national event’s aim to support local charities serving people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness, is meant to provide participants with a sense of the challenges faced by those experiencing homeless during the winter months especially.

There were 33 volunteers involved in making the event happen, and ensuring its success.

The walk saw 26 teams (each ranging in size from 1-15 members) comprising 140 walkers who had registered – including Many Happy Returns, Cyclists Walking, Heated Rivalry and Sunday Lunch among individuals, more groups, friends, colleagues, community groups, schools and neighbours who all came out to support the cause.

The top ten fundraisers are:
1. County Huggers $14,020
2. Picton United Church Food Bank $13,032
3. Mutual Hearts on the Move $10,466
4. Prince Edward County Staff Freezin’ for a Reason $2,950
5. Milford Marchers $2,750
6. Picton GT Prowl for Warmth $2,150
7. County Trekkers $2,095
8. U11 Otter Energy Prince Edward County Kings $2,055
9. Food to Share $1,710
10. Prince Edward Learning Centre Prowlers $1,575.

To finish off the evening, and as reward for a job well done, and to warm up, everyone was invited to enjoy a meal of chicken and egg noodle casserole, vegan moussaka, pumpkin and white bean soup, and rice pudding.

“Hunger in Prince Edward County is at an all time high with approximately 6,000 individuals challenged by food insecurity,” notes the Foodbank’s website. “Of the 6,000 food insecure, 1,500 will utilize the services of foodbanks, while the other 4,500 presumably go without. This is not a new issue, but it has become more prevalent.”

The Picton United Church Foodbank has been sharing food in Prince Edward County since 1984 when Beth Thompson and Della Mae Gray started a pantry at the United Church. Through the efforts of many volunteers, over many years, the foodbank has risen to the challenge of feeding the hungry in our community.

Homelessness and housing hampered by government funding constraints