Author Archives: Michelle Rowe-Jardine

  1. NOTICE North York at City Hall!

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    Over a hundred people stand outside City Hall during a rally including the North York Harvest Food Bank banner.

    Advocacy is a key pillar in North York Harvest Food Bank’s mission. Not only sharing what we know through research including our Who’s Hungry Report, but also providing platforms for our community members to share their lived experience and use their voice for change.

    Together we are fighting for a fairer city for all through NOTICE: A community-powered movement supported by North York Harvest. This movement aims to put the drivers of hunger and poverty on NOTICE with a collective voice that can’t be ignored.

    Last year food insecurity was declared an emergency in Toronto — so our community sprang into action. Ahead of City Council’s vote on the  2025 budget, we collected 100’s of petition signatures and letters, and brought 60+ clients with us to City Hall to hand-deliver them to elected officials.

    Together we helped to secure increased funding for drop-in meal programs, increased funding for tenant supports, a TTC fare freeze and an expanded School Food program.

    That’s the power when community comes together. So this year, we brought two buses full of community members to rally at City Hall, with four of our clients speaking about what it’s like to live with the affordability crisis.

    We joined a coalition of community organizations to rally for City Council to fund a more affordable Toronto.

    One woman wearing a winter coat stands outside with a microphone during a rally at City Hall. A crowd can be seen around her.

    “Seniors need help,” says Joyce, a member of our Community Advocacy Group. “Seniors built this country, they work hard, they pay taxes and they raise families.

    “Today too many seniors are struggling, and we live on a fixed income. Seniors are forced to choose between food or rent. Food or medicine. This is not right, and this is not dignity.”

    A group of people, some with their hands in the air, smile for a group shot at City Hall with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.

    Our community met with Mayor Olivia Chow to discuss how the proposed budget would work toward a more affordable Toronto where everyone has the opportunity to live and thrive.

    When policymakers listen to the community members living with the affordability crisis every day — real change can happen.

    Because of the joint advocacy of community organizations across our city, and under the leadership of Mayor Chow, in the 2026 budget we won:

    • A TTC fare freeze for a 3rd year straight AND the first TTC fare cap
    • An expansion of the Student Nutrition program to help an additional 62,000 children meet their food needs
    • More investment in the RentSafeTO and Rent Bank programs to protect renters from unsafe living conditions and evictions

    There is still work to be done at every level of government to fight the affordability crisis in Toronto and across our country.

    But this is what can happen when community speaks truth to power, and elected officials take NOTICE.

    A group of people hold the North York Harvest Food Bank banner outside of City Hall, smiling, some with their fists in the air triumphantly.

    Do you agree that hunger and poverty in our city have gone unnoticed and underfunded for too long? Join NOTICE and fight for a city for all of us!

  2. Welcome to Oriole Community Food Space

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    Oriole in Photos

    Our Oriole Community Food Space opened in 2013, and it’s been an important hub for community support ever since!

    Nestled in the Oriole Community Centre, the space operates in partnership with Flemingdon Health Centre and Working Women Community Centre. Together, our space fights food insecurity through food support and advocacy while providing wraparound supports for our community. 

    Our Oriole Community

    A man in a red North York Harvest Food Bank apron hands food to a woman holding a grocery bag at a food bank.

    Oriole Community Food Space operates two program days per week, serving 1,300 clients per month.

    • 25% of clients are children and youth
    • 16% are 65+
    • Nearly half (47%) of clients live in 1 or 2-person households
    • In 2025, 36% of clients turned to our food bank for the first time

    Meet Nisha!

    Two people wearing North York Harvest Food Bank aprons stand with their arms around one another smiling, in an outdoor market setting with fresh produce visible.

    Nisha, above right, first joined North York Harvest in 2015 as a volunteer before becoming relief staff. From 2020-2025 she was the Manager of our Albion Library Community Food Space before making the switch over to Oriole.

    “The reality is that it is not only people who are homeless or unemployed who need to use the food bank, which is what I think many people still believe,” Nisha says. “Many of our clients are households where multiple adults are working, yet they are still unable to provide enough food for themselves after paying for other necessities.

    “It is also the fact that not only can people not afford enough food, but that they are unable to access healthy, nutritious food,” Nisha says.

    Healthcare support for food bank clients

    Two people stand at an information booth for healthcare services at Oriole Community Food Space.

    As part of our partnership with Working Women, ambassadors from North York Toronto Health Partners are a regular fixture at Oriole, providing a range of supports with resources, events, and more including:

    • Mobile cancer screening
    • Mobile Dental Bus
    • Finding a primary physician
    • Support with specific client healthcare issues

    Meet Maura!

    A woman wearing a North York Harvest Food Bank apron smiles as she opens a fridge with milk visible inside.

    Oriole Food Space has about 37 volunteers who dedicate their time to making their community a better place for everyone — including Maura!

    “I have volunteered at the food bank for over two years. What I look forward to and enjoy, is that each week is different. I’m usually at the fresh produce/eggs-milk station,” Maura says.

    “I look forward to the familiar faces each week and getting to know them better — their humour and their individual quirkiness. It is also a plus to work with and know the other volunteers who come from many walks of life.”

    Thank you for joining us at Oriole Community Food Space!

    Four people wearing red North York Harvest Food Bank aprons smile in a food bank.

    And thank you to our donors, community partners, staff, and volunteers who help make this critical work possible every day.

    Together we are working toward our vision of a community where all members are able to meet their food needs.

  3. FoodReach: 2025 Year in Review!

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    A graphic with the FoodReach logo with text that says a social enterprise of North York Harvest Food Bank. Below are four circles with white arrows indicating a cycle. In each circle are stats about the number of orders made, sites delivered to, and revenue kept within the local community.

    Our social enterprise FoodReach is a community impact powerhouse! In 2025 FoodReach continued to advance North York Harvest’s mission, increase food access for non-profits, and keep money and jobs flowing within our local economy.

    What is FoodReach?


    2025 Highlights

    Keeping costs down
    2025 was another record-breaking year of food insecurity for communities across Ontario. Food prices in Canada also increased 6.2%, squeezing food budgets for community members and non-profits serving essential meals every day.

    This year, FoodReach grew its network of customers by 49%. By utilizing this network’s bulk purchasing power, FoodReach was able to reduce costs on key food items to help more food banks, drop-in meal programs, libraries, and schools nourish their communities.

    A graphic with the FoodReach logo with the text "a social enterprise of North York Harvest Food Bank" below are various food items showing how FoodReach reduced or maintained prices on key food items.

    Feeding more kids

    A child's drawing of herself with the title 'We Are Leaders' where a young girl describes that she is a leader because she is kind, and she loves the school snack program.

    In February 2025, North York Harvest Executive Director Ryan Noble joined Mayor Olivia Chow at a press conference calling for the expansion of the Student Nutrition Program. Together they helped secure funding for the program in the 2025 City budget, so more children could focus on learning, not hunger.

    In partnership with the Toronto Foundation for Student Success, FoodReach grew from supporting 38 school food programs, up to 82! That’s over 31,000 students receiving nutritious food at school every day — powered by FoodReach.

    Building shared prosperity
    This year FoodReach furthered its commitment to local procurement, with over 50% of the food in its purchasing portal sourced from regional producers! That means FoodReach can keep money circulating within our economy by supporting local businesses, while also protecting the non-profit supply chain against harmful disruptions, like tariffs.

    Revenue earned also supports North York Harvest’s operations and workforce training program, Leadership in Logistics. This is North York Harvest’s Community Wealth Building Model in action: Local dollars are reinvested while food access is improved for thousands of people across food banks, shelters, libraries, and schools — affordably and equitably.

    In 2026 FoodReach will grow again when we move into our new Community Food Hub. More food for more non-profits, more Leadership in Logistics graduates, and more sustainable revenue to support North York Harvest as we work toward our vision of a community where all members can meet their food needs.

  4. 7 Reasons to run a Virtual Food Drive this winter

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    A woman wearing a red North York Harvest Food Bank sweater types on a computer stacked on top of a makeshift desk made of boxes of food at the food bank.

    A Virtual Food Drive is an online fundraiser you can start with your work, your neighbours, your sports team – any time, anywhere. North York Harvest Food Bank relies on community food drives to collect essential food donations, but we understand a physical fundraiser might not be for everyone.

    A Virtual Food Drive raises essential funds instead, so we can purchase our most-needed items and distribute them quickly to meet the urgent needs of our community today.

    Here are 7 reasons why this may be the fundraiser you’ve been looking for!

    1. It’s winter-friendly
    Snowstorms, icy sidewalks, and freezing temperatures can make in-person food drives challenging. A Virtual Food Drive keeps generosity flowing, no matter the forecast.

    A woman is seen from behind, stocking full shelves of essential food and diapers at the North York Harvest Food Bank.

    2. Every dollar goes further, $1 donated = $2 Food
    Virtual Food Drives allow North York Harvest to purchase food in bulk — stretching each donation to provide more essential food to our neighbours.

    3. It’s easy to start, anywhere
    No shopping, storing, or transporting bags of heavy food required. Virtual Food Drives can be set up in minutes with minimal coordinating and logistics on your end. Just rally your network, set a goal, and watch the community impact fill up your team’s fundraising page.

    A four-step explainer of how to start a Virtual Food Drive at North York Harvest Food Bank, including setting up your team page and sending email templates to remind folks to donate.

    4. No effort is wasted
    Online donations don’t expire, get dropped and dented, or need to be thrown out. You can know that 100% of your fundraising efforts = 100% impact for our community.

    5. It’s more accessible for everyone
    Virtual Food Drives remove physical barriers, making it easier for people with mobility challenges, busy schedules, or limited transportation to participate.

    6. Support when demand is highest
    Winter is one of the hardest times of year for food banks, as heating costs rise and household budgets are stretched. Your Virtual Food Drive delivers help when it’s needed most.

    7. Turn any occasion into community support
     Birthdays, milestones, team challenges—whatever the occasion, a Virtual Food Drive is a meaningful way to connect with others while making a real difference in North York.

    In the foreground is a box of donated items including food and diapers, in the background a person can be seen handing a bag of donated foods to another individual at the North York Harvest Food Bank warehouse.

    Ready to get started? Your Virtual Food Drive can be run as a standalone fundraiser OR with a physical food drive to give everyone in your network a chance to participate. 

    In just a few clicks, you’ll be on your way to helping neighbours fill plates and nourish belonging across North York. Register your Virtual Food Drive today!

  5. A Message from Executive Director Ryan Noble

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    A Message from Executive Director Ryan Noble

    I am sometimes asked about how things are going at North York Harvest.  It seems like a simple question, but I struggle to answer it properly.  If you follow our regular communications you already know that this has been one of the most difficult years we, and food banks all across Canada, have ever faced.

    Exceptionally high demand is placing enormous pressure on the organization and our partner agencies.  There never seems to be enough to meet the challenge.

    But that’s not the whole story.  I have the privilege of seeing the other side of our food bank: The thousands and thousands of donors, volunteers, partners and supporters who make up North York Harvest.  Each of them does something tangible and meaningful about the crisis we face.  These are the acts that don’t always make the headlines, but when I think about them, it fills me with an overwhelming sense of hope. 

    A woman in a red North York Harvest Food Bank shirt serves food to a client at a food bank in Toronto.

    The term food bank is misleading.  It implies that there are deposits and withdrawals.  That may be technically true, but is much too simple.  When I look around our food bank, I see people that care about each other and that get and give so much, whether they receive food, donate it or distribute it.

    When we’re at our best, all people here build a sense of themselves, a stronger connection to their community, and relationships that often last for years.  It is an honour to be a part of that. 

    As the year comes to an end, I want to thank everybody who makes North York Harvest Food Bank the organization we are.  Together I know that we can reach our vision of a community where everyone can meet their food needs.

    I wish you a joyful holiday season and a bright start to a healthy and prosperous New Year.

    Ryan Noble
    Executive Director
    North York Harvest Food Bank

    A group of people wearing red North York Harvest Food Bank attire stand in front of an LED sign that reads '40 Years' surrounded by balloons.

  6. Tammy’s Story

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    Six people stand in front of the North York Harvest Food Bank backdrop, with five of them holding certificates for the Leadership in Logistics program.

    Once, Tammy was a client who turned to North York Harvest Food Bank when she had nowhere else to go.

    Today, after graduating from the Leadership in Logistics (LIL) program, she is a line manager at North York Harvest, and a cherished mentor to our LIL students. Tammy now helps to guide students to chase after their own success and stability, just like she once did. Read her story below.

    I’ve been on my own, and often homeless, since I was 13 years old.

    As you can imagine, I’ve been through some really, really, tough times. Times when I didn’t know where my next meal would come from.

    Times when I went without food just so my kids could eat. Times when I almost lost hope entirely. During those years, I often turned to the food bank — because I had no other place to go.

    What I found was a community that refused to let me fall through the cracks. North York Harvest Food Bank made sure I could put food on the table for myself and my kids when we needed it most.

    When my fridge and cupboards were empty week after week, I came up with a painful strategy. I ate on Mondays, then went without on Tuesday and  Wednesday, so my kids would have enough. By Thursday, I’d eat again just to keep going.

    I knew something had to change — for their sake and mine. That’s when I discovered North York Harvest’s job-training program. It wasn’t easy. It took courage, determination, and a lot of hard work. I can tell you that getting into that program was the beginning of my life turning around.

    Today, I’m proud to say I work at North York Harvest Food Bank as a line manager in their warehouse. I get to help ensure that 30,000 people, who are in situations like I was, can access the food they need with dignity.

    Even more meaningful for me — I am now the instructor for the same training program that helped me rebuild my own life.

    Every day, I try to show people what I once needed to hear: You are not alone, and we will not give up on you.A woman in a red North York Harvest Food Bank shirt, smiles as she sits on a forklift inside a warehouse.

    A year ago, the City of Toronto declared food insecurity an emergency, but nothing has changed except the lines at the food bank are longer. 1 in 10 Torontonians rely on food banks and heartbreakingly, 1 in 4 of them is a child!

    I’m asking you to help another family like mine, going through one of the hardest moments of their lives.

    Your gift this holiday season will provide food and other essential supports to children and families, living right here in our neighbourhood.

    Until December 31st, you can make 2X the difference for neighbours facing food insecurity, thanks to a match from the Schulich Foundation.

    Give a Special Gift Today

  7. Our 2025 Year in Review

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    Our Top 10 Moments of 2025!

    2025 was a year of many firsts for North York Harvest Food Bank. Faced with record-breaking food insecurity and poverty year after year, our organization continues to build on our commitment to being more than a food bank, and more than a neighbour’s last resort. 

    It was hard to narrow it down, but here are the Top 10 Moments at North York Harvest in 2025 — each one made possible by all of us working together to make our community a better place for everyone.

    1. Improved our Leadership in Logistics Program

    Four people hold graduation certificates and smile in front of a backdrop for North York Harvest Food Bank

    We know full-time employment is a springboard to stability, but it’s often not the end of the story. That’s why, starting this year, graduates of our Leadership in Logistics program had the opportunity to continue working with North York Harvest to build on their success using the Sustainable Livelihood Model.

    This model helps identify other areas, including health and basic needs that require additional support in order for people to thrive in our community.

    Our staff will work with graduates to offer support with referrals and resources including healthcare services, housing, and more.

    2. 40 Years of North York Harvest Food Bank

    A large group of people, of diverse cultures and ages, wearing North York Harvest Food Bank gear pose for a group picture in front of a large light-up 40 sign

    It started with our founder Loren at a Blue Jays Game asking a simple question: What happens to all the hot dogs that don’t get sold? 

    From that question sprang an idea: That everyone in our community should be able to meet their food needs. Over 40 years, countless individuals would join together to build on that mission because they saw hunger in their community and decided to do something about it.

    This year North York Harvest Food Bank turned 40, and we celebrated in our brand new space at  4048 Chesswood Dr., with over 1,000 past and present staff, volunteers, donors, and community members stopping by to commemorate the day!

    3. We Launched Our Most Ambitious Campaign Yet

    North York Harvest Food Bank launched Crisis to Catalyst: A $6 million capital campaign to build a new 30,000+ square-foot Community Food Hub that will redefine what a food bank can be, and ignite a powerful shift in how we address food insecurity.

    4. Get Out the Vote!

    Three people wearing North York Harvest gear stand in front of BBQs preparing meat at an outdoor event.

    There are many barriers stopping people from making it to the ballot box, from not having a fixed address, to not having enough money for transportation to the polls.

    So North York Harvest held a Community BBQ to Get Out the Vote ahead of the federal election!

    Over 600 people attended, with free transportation taking attendees to the polls to cast their vote. We also shuttled over 100 clients from our Community Food Spaces to the polls, and ensured no one was turned away from exercising their right to vote.

    5. Our Community Fought for Change, and Won!

    A large group of people stand outside at a rally at City Hall in Toronto. Many are holding protest signs about affordability, and there's a large banner for North York Harvest Food Bank.

    Two months after the City of Toronto declared a food insecurity emergency in Toronto, we collected hundreds of petition signatures, sent dozens of letters and gave deputations to urge every City Councillor to pass a city budget that put people first.

    On the day of the Toronto City budget deliberation, we brought 60+ people from our community food spaces and joined with other community organizations to rally outside City Hall. Afterwards we hand-delivered our petitions to elected officials, calling for:

    • The expansion of the School Food Program
    • More funding for drop-in meal programs
    • More funding for renter supports
    • A TTC fare freeze

    Together, we won all those things!

    6. Strengthening Community Roots at Albion

    A person wearing a bucket hat holds out an article of clothing at an outdoor clothing bank event.

    This year our Albion Food Space partnered with a mobile clothing bank and we launched our first green market at this space, bringing affordable produce to clients through our social enterprise, FoodReach, all summer long!

    Thanks to a grant from Toronto Public Library, we were able to sell fresh fruits and vegetables about 40% cheaper than the grocery store, improving food access for our Rexdale community.

    7.  Partner Agency Conference

    A large group of over 20 people pose for a group picture with a large banner for North York Harvest Food Bank.

    This summer we held a conference with our network of partner agencies and drop-in meal programs supported through Creating Health Plus that became a powerful day of community, learning, and shared purpose.

    It was an opportunity to connect with one another through discussions and workshops around food access, advocacy, and community development.

    8. Providing More Fresh Food

    Four people smile as they all hold a large donation of fresh lettuce at North York Harvest Food Bank

    As grocery store prices continued to soar in 2025, fresh foods became even more out of reach for many of our clients.

    Thanks to some incredible community partners, this year fresh produce and milk became two of our Top 3 most-distributed items! As of November 2025, we have provided more than 165,000 lbs. Of nourishing milk to our clients —  15% more than last year!

    9. FoodReach Grows, Again!

    Our social enterprise FoodReach continued to drive impact in the food access sector this year.

    With the expansion of the Student Nutrition Program in Toronto, FoodReach grew from providing healthy food to 38 schools, up to 81! To support this growth, we expanded our infrastructure with a new truck, and two new staff.

    As FoodReach continues to grow, we’re purchasing more food, which supports local businesses and creates employment opportunities, helping to keep money and jobs in our community. The revenue from FoodReach also supports North York Harvest’s operations; creating a long-term food solution for our sector and building community wealth!

     

    10. Notice North York

    People stand outside Queen's Park in Toronto holding a large banner that says Queen's Park on NOTICE.

    Poverty and hunger in North York have gone unnoticed, underfunded, and underestimated for too long. This year, we launched NOTICE: A community-powered movement fighting inequality and building lasting solutions to hunger and poverty. Supported by North York Harvest Food Bank, NOTICE supporters have a collective voice that can’t be ignored.

  8. This is FoodReach

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    A person in a North York Harvest Food Bank delivery truck hands a box of food to a person standing on the ground.

    Do you know about North York Harvest’s social enterprise, FoodReach?

    FoodReach lowers food costs for nonprofits, improves food access for thousands of Torontonians, supports local producers, and generates sustainable revenue to strengthen North York Harvest’s mission.

    By pooling the collective buying power of hundreds of schools, shelters, and community organizations, FoodReach purchases nutritious food in bulk from local suppliers and passes those savings directly to the frontline programs feeding our city.

    Watch this video to learn all about the impact of FoodReach!