Light Up the Season

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It’s that time of year again!  CBC is teaming up with food banks across the GTA to raise food and funds to make sure our communities have the food they need to thrive.

Sadly, we at North York Harvest, along with other GTA food banks, need your support now more than ever. Local, provincial and national reports are showing alarming statistics regarding food bank use in our communities.

  • Food bank use is up across Toronto, with the greatest increase in use happening in the inner suburbs, like North York. 16,000 people will turn to us this month alone to keep food on their tables.
  • 1 in 3 food bank users are children
  • 35% of food bank users will go an entire day without eating
  • Food bank usage of seniors has skyrocketed 26.5% in the past year

Here’s how our community is taking action to change those alarming findings:

Hilltop Middle School has partnered with us throughout the CBC Sounds of the Season Event.  They are focused on collecting the food bank items that are vital to the health of our neighbours struggling to put food on the table: rice, canned tomatoes, canned fish, beans and lentils and cooking oil.

These amazing students have been working hard to make sure people in their community have nutritious food to eat.  Their activities have included hosting a school assembly, holding a class competition to collect food, and using their school newsletter and class activities to share information about hunger in Toronto.

One of the students even went Trick or Treating on Halloween to collect items for North York Harvest instead of candy.  AMAZING!

To celebrate the incredible work done by the students of Hilltop and the other schools participating on behalf of other food banks, we’ll all be having a friendly food sort competition at the Daily Bread Food Bank location on Friday December 8th.

Want to help Hilltop? Make a donation on their behalf here!


CBC has been a phenomenal partner in spreading the word about the state of poverty and food insecurity in the city and how food banks across the GTA are taking action on these issues.  Our Forklift Instructor Tammy was featured in an inspiring story talking about her journey from food bank user to working here at NYH and the joy that her family felt about her success – you can read it here!

Last year you raised $727,226 through Sounds of the Season for GTA Food Banks!

This year we need you more than ever to make sure everyone in our community can access the healthy food they need to thrive!

Here’s how you can take action:

Learn more about Sounds of the Season and pledge your support

Join our Winter Food Drive and help collect food and funds for those who need us most.

Help us spread the word about food bank use in North Toronto – follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and share your commitment to ending hunger in our community.

 




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