We’re pleased to share our biannual Impact Report, a snapshot of the amazing work we have accomplished together this year.
Between March-August 2024, we made significant strides toward meeting the needs of our community.
In just six months, we distributed 1.6 million lbs. of food across our network, a 36% increase over last year!
That includes our staple non-perishable food items, but also high-quality items like fresh produce. We have been working hard to source more fresh food for our clients through various community partnerships – leading to an astonishing 462% increase in fresh vegetables being distributed across our network.
The support of our community is critical to nearly 30,000 neighbours who rely on North York Harvest Food Bank for emergency support – but your impact doesn’t stop there.
By moving beyond traditional food bank models and offering innovative programs including Leadership in Logistics, focused advocacy, and our social enterprise, FoodReach, our work targets the root causes of food insecurity and poverty.
Together, we are building a community that is more equitable, resilient, and where all members are able to meet their food needs.
Who’s Hungry Report 2024 – Trapped in Poverty: Unprecedented Hunger in Toronto
In partnership, North York Harvest Food Bank and Daily Bread Food Bank have released Who’s Hungry 2024— an annual profile of food insecurity and poverty in Toronto.
In just one year, we saw nearly one million more food bank client visits at a record-breaking 3.49 million visits. That’s more than the population of Toronto.
Almost 155,000 new individuals started using food bank services for the first time this past year — a 222% increase compared to just two years ago and over four times pre-pandemic
levels.
Even with food bank clients reporting higher employment rates and wages, the rising costs of living are making it impossible to keep up. More people in our city, from all walks of life, are being trapped in cycles of poverty every single day.
“It isn’t about who made the right choices and it isn’t about budgeting. It’s so far beyond that. It’s about our support systems and our social safety net that have been allowed to fray to such levels that people aren’t just falling through the cracks, the ground is collapsing beneath their feet,” says Sarah Watson, North York Harvest’s Director of Community Engagement.
Key findings from the report:
57% of clients cited the high cost of living as their reason for visiting the food bank
Food bank clients have a median monthly income of $1,265 – this is just over half Toronto’s Official Poverty Line ($2,397) for a single person
Almost 9 in 10 clients (87%) live in unaffordable housing, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities
58% are from single-person households
50% missed a meal to pay for something else
49% of food bank clients have at least one member of their household who is employed
Our city is at a breaking point, and so are our food banks. Food banks cannot fix food insecurity, and we can’t keep up with this demand.
We need every level of government to come to the table and finally take meaningful action to address this crisis. Our clients have made it clear what they need:
Affordable housing
A higher minimum wage
Increased social assistance rates
Newcomer supports
Employment support
We are raising the alarm on food insecurity, and together we can be loud enough that we are impossible to ignore.
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Community Advocacy Group: Fighting poverty from the ground up!
What do you think is the most important issue leading to food bank use? What could help solve that issue?
These were the questions we’ve been asking people who come to our food banks over the summer. We wanted to hear about the biggest challenges leading to food insecurity in our community from the people living it – and we wanted to hear what they think should be done about it too.
Over the past four months, hundreds of people shared their experiences at our local food banks, and over a hundred people attended one of five workshops to dive deeper into the issues.
Here’s what we learned:
Housing and the cost of rent was consistently the biggest challenge in people’s lives. This is consistent with our research at NYHFB that shows that once people pay their rent they have very little – if any at all – to spend on food and other necessities.
Food prices, wages, employment, social assistance rates and pensions were among the other top issues prevalent in people’s lives.
But we didn’t just discuss the challenges. We also talked about solutions and what we can do to make those solutions a reality, and that’s where things got really exciting. Despite all the challenges our community is facing, people are abundantly clear: not only are we ready for change but we’re ready to take action to make it happen!
That’s how our Community Action Group got started — a NYHFB Advocacy Group aimed at tackling the root causes of poverty and hunger from the ground up. Now, we’re getting ready to take action for real change and long-term solutions for our community. Together we’ll be fighting for rent control, affordable housing and food prices, fair wages, increased social assistance rates and more!
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Food for Thought: A social enterprise support for student nutrition
In our Food for Thought series, individuals within North York Harvest Food Bank will share their experience in matters pertaining to food insecurity and poverty. This series will share ideas, perspectives, and lessons learned as we work toward our vision of a community where all members are able to meet their food needs.
Written by Lianne Holland, Manager of FoodReach
Last week I got an email from a North York school that said: “we only have $1900 of funding left for our snack program, which will last about a week. Can FoodReach help?”
Sadly, this is a common problem for schools. Student Nutrition Programs (SNPs) are struggling to provide adequate food with their current funding.
In a recent CBC article, the Ontario Student Nutrition Program Southwest Region shared that “their portion of the $5 million in funding meant $4.29 for each participating student for the entire school year. One healthy snack costs $1.50 on average. Right now, steep increases in food inflation are putting added pressure on already extremely tight budgets.”
SNPs play a critical role in a student’s learning and development, as well as food security. It’s estimated that the National School Food Policy will save families with two children up to $800 a year on food costs, and families need it.
In July of 2024, North York Harvest saw nearly 30,000 visits to our food banks sites – a 130% increase from the same time in 2019.
And 27% of this year’s visits were children and youth, that’s more than 1 in 4 people visiting our food banks.
To put it simply, an unprecedented number of kids in Toronto are hungry.
Child and youth hunger has a profound impact on learning outcomes, which has a domino effect on the rest of their lives.
NYH is addressing this hunger crisis through a wrap-around strategy that includes emergency food access, advocacy efforts, and our FoodReach program.
FoodReach, North York Harvest’s social enterprise, is a non-profit food supplier and logistics service that specializes in selling food to the emergency food access sector and public institutions. We leverage the collective purchasing volume of these sectors to lower food costs, generate a long-term food solution, and strengthen community wealth building.
In 2023, FoodReach serviced 197 customers across the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area and 65% were child and youth programs.
By leveraging the collective purchasing power of these programs, FoodReach has continuously lowered the cost of food for student nutrition programs across Toronto. On average, we have lowered the cost of snacks by 15% compared to prices from standard retailers.
Whether student nutrition programs have stretched budgets, or are fully funded, FoodReach will continue to work on lowering food costs and stretching SNP dollars further so students can focus on learning at school, and so families can trust that their kids are eating nourishing food.
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North York Harvest Food Bank Partners with Canadian Tire Corporation to Expand Leadership in Logistics Program
North York Harvest Food Bank is excited to announce its partnership with Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) on the Leadership in Logistics (LIL) training program. Together we are providing innovative training and employment opportunities to those struggling with food insecurity.
The LIL program, developed at North York Harvest, is a four-week paid internship that equips participants with essential skills in warehouse logistics, inventory management and forklift operations, empowering them to secure stable jobs.
By creating pathways to sustainable employment, the program reduces food bank reliance and drives lasting, systemic change in the community.
“Toronto is facing an unprecedented crisis of affordability, poverty, and food insecurity. North York Harvest is seeing record levels of food bank usage,” says North York Harvest Executive Director Ryan Noble.
“We understand that free food is only a temporary fix and that traditional charitable models fall short of solving prolonged food insecurity. We have consistently advocated for a holistic approach to supporting individuals struggling with poverty towards truly sustainable livelihoods.”
Since its launch in 2023, more than 80% of participants have successfully completed the program and have secured full-time employment.
“The program has impacted my life so well,” recent graduate Moses says. “I had nowhere to start from, I was new here and had no hope. Even some people I met when I came here, they have not yet found work, so for me I got so lucky with the program and I feel so blessed.”
This partnership demonstrates how a charity and a for-profit business can work together to foster lasting and sustainable change in our community. Read the full press release here.
Comments Off on Flood protection funding is a community victory!
Flood protection funding is a community victory!
On July 16, North York Harvest Food Bank was hit hard by a devastating flood that resulted in a power outage, infrastructure damage, and $20,000 of spoiled food.
Our community has faced terrible floods before, and we knew it wasn’t if, but when it would happen again.
Several of our partner agencies and countless community members were also reeling from the effects: displaced from their homes, property damage, loss of essential food supplies and services, and more.
After the flood, North York Harvest Food Bank, Youth Without Shelter, Room to Grow Food Bank, the Mount Dennis Community Association, and the Black Creek
Alliance joined together to discuss the effects of the flood, and how we could move collaboratively toward solutions.
Our discussions emphasized the urgent support needed from the government to alleviate the strain on our non-profits and our community.
We were joined by Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who met with community members affected by the flood, amplified our concerns and supported our call for long-term solutions in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
On August 30 an investment of $323-million from the City of Toronto and the federal government was announced to bolster the Rockcliffe-Smythe area against future flooding!
“This is the power of advocacy and community,” says Ryan Noble, Executive Director of North York Harvest Food Bank. “When we come together and fight for our community, we win. When we join our voices together and put pressure on the government to notice, it can work.
“We’re proud to have stood with our partners and neighbours who have been raising alarm bells about this issue for years, and we’re hopeful it will bring relief for our community.”
Comments Off on How Our Community Came Together During Disaster
How our community came together during disaster
On July 16, a tremendous rainfall caused mass flooding and power outages across Toronto, and North York Harvest Food Bank got hit, hard.
Summer is always a challenging time for food banks. North York Harvest saw the highest number of client visits on record in May, and for weeks had been running critically low on essential foods like pasta and canned fish. In reality, we were already in crisis mode. Then the flood happened.
Our loading bays were flooded, our freezer broke, one of our delivery trucks was damaged, and water poured into the warehouse.
On top of the infrastructure damage from the flood and power outage, about $20,000 worth of milk, yogurt and other high quality foods were spoiled. These are highly valued products, which our clients often can’t afford to buy for themselves and their families.
The effects of this damage rippled outwards to our community. As a result, we weren’t able to provide as much food to our community food spaces and the dozens of agencies we support. Some of our partner agencies were also impacted, losing large amounts of inventory and facing significant damage to their food spaces.
Community Champions
We put out an urgent call for help, but we could not have imagined the incredible response from our community!
We were in a crisis, but we weren’t alone. Individuals, community groups, local businesses, and organizations all showed up to help North York Harvest get back on its feet. Our phones were ringing off the hook; everyone was asking how they could help.
Immediately, the generosity of our supporters was put into action: Shelves, cupboards and fridges were refilled to ensure our clients could access the food they need.
This couldn’t have happened at a worse time, but this situation reminded us how incredible and compassionate our community is.
After the flood
Thanks to our generous supporters, we have been able to repair the delivery truck and get it back on the road. Unfortunately, multiple attempts at repairing the freezer have been unsuccessful. There is a temporary fix in place to keep it operational for now, but it will need to be replaced – and soon.
The reality is North York Harvest Food Bank has outgrown its current warehouse. Our space and equipment were not designed to meet the demands of the growing number of individuals who rely on our services.
Given that our warehouse serves as the main distribution site for four community food spaces and hundreds of food programs, maintaining the integrity of our supply chain is crucial. To reduce the risk of another breakdown, we are looking at offsite cold storage space as a contingency.
“I think this shows just how fragile the network of food banks really is to deal with the crisis that we’re seeing,” says Ryan Noble, Executive Director of North York Harvest Food Bank. “This flood was an acute shock, but we’ve been dealing with a chronic crisis of food insecurity and poverty in this city for years.”
Thank you to everyone for the support during this challenging time, and for joining with North York Harvest as we work toward our vision of a community where all members can meet their food needs.
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North York Harvest Receives Feed Ontario Award for Innovation!
Every year, the Feed Ontario Awards for Excellence honour food banks that have demonstrated exceptional work in innovation, advocacy, and leadership among Ontario’s network of food banks. The awards are presented each year at Feed Ontario’s annual conference, which was held this June in Kingston, Ontario.
North York Harvest Food Bank is proud to announce we are the recipients of the prestigious Innovator Award this year!
The Innovator Award, a significant recognition in the food bank sector, is presented to a food bank that has demonstrated innovation in programming, service, or sustainability.
North York Harvest’s unique, community-driven initiatives create local jobs, provide valuable skills training, and ensure robust community food programs. This innovative approach not only meets immediate needs but also empowers individuals, building a stronger, more resilient community.
“Toronto is facing an unprecedented crisis of affordability, poverty and food insecurity. North York Harvest is seeing record levels of food bank usage,” says Ryan Noble, Executive Director at North York Harvest Food Bank.
“We understand free food is only a temporary fix and that traditional charitable models fall short of solving long-term food insecurity. We have long championed a holistic approach to supporting individuals struggling with poverty alongside strategies that foster our local economy and generate wealth in our communities,” he says.
Our programs include:
Foodreach: A collaborative food purchasing program enabling hundreds of community partners to access food at reduced costs. The funds generated from FoodReach are invested back into NYHFB, helping to sustain our emergency food support by providing no-cost food to their member agencies and food banks.
Leadership in Logistics: A community-focused initiative of North York Harvest Food Bank that has been instrumental in empowering and investing in food bank clients. By offering paid training opportunities in logistics, warehousing, and materials handling, the program has equipped participants with a forklift certification and placed them in jobs at distribution centres, where they earn a living wage with benefits.
“Each year, Feed Ontario presents awards to honour and acknowledge the exceptional work being done in food banks across our network,” said Carolyn Stewart, Chief Executive Officer at Feed Ontario. “In every corner of Ontario, food banks are working tremendously hard to ensure that everyone in their community has access to nutritious and healthy food.”
Thank you to Feed Ontario for this recognition, and thank you to our staff, volunteers, partners and donors who make this transformative work possible!
community partnerships – leading to an astonishing 462% increase in fresh vegetables being distributed across our network.
“This is the power of advocacy and community,” says Ryan Noble, Executive Director of North York Harvest Food Bank. “When we come together and fight for our community, we win. When we join our voices together and put pressure on the government to notice, it can work.
