Comments Off on North York Harvest Food Bank needs a new home
NYH needs a new home to nourish our community for years to come!
Sadly, North York Harvest Food Bank needs to find a new home.
With more than 1 in 10 Torontonians turning to a food bank last year, we have outgrown our space. What was once equipped to serve our community is failing as the demand for emergency food assistance has outpaced the constraints of our warehouse.
At North York Harvest, we are facing daily challenges in our current space due to structural and capacity issues that are hindering our ability to get nourishing food to those who need it most.
- Structural Issues: The warehouse roof leaks, creating unsafe conditions and causing damage to critical food supplies.
- Cold Storage Deficiencies: There is inadequate cold storage, making it impossible to properly store and distribute enough perishable items like milk, cheese, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and proteins.
- Dry Storage Shortages: A lack of sufficient dry storage limits the ability to accept and efficiently distribute donated goods, further complicating operations.
- Operational Impact: These challenges are slowing food distribution at a time when the citywide need has reached alarming levels—food banks in Toronto saw 3.49 million visits in 2024, a staggering increase from 935,000 visits in 2019.
Our warehouse is critical to our operations. Not only for our ability to serve nearly 30,000 client visits each month, but also as a hub of innovation, education, and community care, including:
FoodReach: Our warehouse is the distribution centre for our social enterprise, FoodReach, which supports public and non-profit organizations, including schools and other food banks, by providing food at affordable prices for programs across Ontario.
Leadership in Logistics: Our employment and training program utilizes our warehouse as a training ground to provide practical experience and training in warehousing and logistics. Successful graduates are offered full-time jobs with benefits at Canadian Tire. Through this program, we can fight unemployment and underemployment in our communities and provide pathways to financial independence.
Sort and Learn workshops: Every year we host workshops for corporate and community groups to connect with their local food bank by learning
about what we do, the underlying causes of food insecurity, and how we can work together toward long-term solutions.
Our lease is up in 2026 and we are feeling increasing pressure to secure an affordable space in time.
With the City of Toronto joining Kingston and Mississauga in declaring food insecurity an emergency, we are calling on the City to provide immediate funding to help us build a safe, efficient warehouse that can handle the growing demand for food assistance.
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