Nearly 10,500 family visits to the Food Bank, over 13,000 baskets distributed, and 1 in 3 Muskoka households struggling to afford food — local charity says immediate financial support is critical to sustaining services
The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation (TTSKF), a registered charity, last week released its 2025 Annual Impact Report, revealing the sharpest rise in food insecurity and homelessness the Muskoka region has seen in years — and issuing an urgent call for financial donations to keep pace with skyrocketing demand for emergency food, shelter, and support services.
Rising housing costs, seasonal employment instability, health challenges, and increasing food prices are pushing more Muskoka neighbours into crisis than ever before. According to data cited in the report from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, nearly one in three households in the region is now struggling to afford the food they need.
LINK TO REPORT: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5918bc5517bffc6da9009aad/t/6a63ab51ee2ede42998e15ed/1784916817453/TTSKF+2025+IMPACT+REPORT+WEB.pdf
The Scale of the Crisis in 2025
- 10,429 family visits to the Food Bank — representing 1,430 adults and 625 children — accessing emergency food support over the course of the year.
- 13,375 baskets of food distributed to households across the region.
- 6,124 nourishing Soup Kitchen meals shared, including 2,959 sit-down meals and 3,165 meals delivered to those unable to attend in person.
- 9% of Huntsville’s entire population — with guests arriving from 38 surrounding communities — turned to The Table for help.
- 37 men supported through The Table’s Men’s Hostel, totalling 2,718 combined night stays, with guests staying an average of 109 days as they worked to regain stability.
- 102,945 lbs of rescued food, an estimated value of $428,983, redirected from waste into households in need through the organization’s food rescue partnership with Second Harvest.
“Behind every visit is a story — job loss, rising rent, medical expenses, homelessness, or seasonal income gaps,” said Heather Cassie, Founder and Executive Director of The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation. “Hunger and housing instability are no longer isolated challenges; they are community realities calling us to a faithful response. We have already seen an increased need in 2026, and we cannot meet this moment without our community standing beside us.”
In response to this escalating need, TTSKF made significant progress in 2025 on The Table Plaza, a new 12 Cann Street community hub in downtown Huntsville that consolidates the Food Bank, Food Rescue, Exchange Thrift Store, Emporium, Art Gallery & Community Hub, and Café under one roof— moving the organization from a traditional food bank model toward a fully integrated community hub addressing hunger, housing vulnerability, and social isolation together.
The organization’s work was made possible in 2025 by more than 125 volunteers and just three staff members, supported by major donors including The Sprott Foundation, Tulloch, Sobeys, Randy Blain Construction, and dozens of local businesses, churches, and individuals.
Urgent Call to Action: Donations Needed Now
With demand continuing to climb into 2026 and services expanding to meet it, The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation is calling on individuals, businesses, and community groups across Muskoka to make an immediate financial gift. Every dollar donated helps stock the Food Bank shelves, provide clothing and other basic essentials, prepare Soup Kitchen meals, and keep a warm bed available at the Men’s Hostel for someone with nowhere else to turn.
Donate now: REGISTERED CHARITY #832058929. Gifts can be made online at thetablefoundation.ca, in person at The Table Plaza (12 Cann St., Huntsville), or by e-transfer to info@thetablefoundation.ca. Volunteer opportunities are also available at thetablefoundation.ca/volunteer-application.
About The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation
The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and non-denominational Christian organization dedicated to ensuring no person in Muskoka is left without food, shelter, clothing, dignity, and community connection. TTSKF provides immediate relief while building long-term, community-driven solutions to hunger and homelessness across the region.
