What should we donate to the food bank?
There are amazing things that you can donate to help your neighbours that use local food bank programs. There are also some questionable items that make it into the bins as well.
The staff of North York Harvest Food Bank made a fun video of what should and shouldn’t be donated to the food bank using real donations. Enjoy!
This week’s guest blog is a client story by Holly. Thank you so much Holly for sharing your story!
Guest blog by Holly B
My name is Holly and for most of my adult life I have been transient.
I also suffer with mental health and physical problems. I am unable to work and found it very hard to settle down. Although for the last couple of years I have found permanent housing. I thought I would be able to do everything on my own.
I was able to pay my rent, phone and medications with the little money I had. Food was always last. Being a type 1 diabetic that takes insulin every day, eating properly is very important. I soon found that I could not do everything on my own. I found the closest food bank to me and soon found out I was receiving more than help with my food. I found a sense of community. I was meeting new people and gave me a good reason to get out of my house and not isolate myself.
At this point in my life I was in a bad relationship and the woman who patiently listens to everyone and their problems every Thursday offered me a opportunity to give back to the community and separate myself from my partner at the time. I was given the gift to help every week with deliveries. Now not only have I made new friends, community, help with food in my fridge, I was also given the gift to give back. I no longer just have a place to live, I have a home!
There has been quite a lot of talk about basic income lately in the news. A basic income is a guarantee to Canadian families and individuals that they will be able to meet a minimum income level regardless of employment status.
This could mean big things for the hundreds of thousands of people in Toronto that struggle to make ends meet to pay for everyday needs such as rent, utilities, transit and food.
This has come up for a lot of debate among Canadians. It also raises a lot of questions about the impact on our communities and economy. In an effort to answer some of the most asked questions about basic income, I spoke with Elaine Power, co-founder of the Kingston Action Group for Basic Income Guarantee.
If we had a basic income program that was available to all who needed it and a basic income program that effectively eliminated poverty, there could be dramatic benefits to the community. The research suggests that public health would improve and health care costs would drop. Eliminating poverty means that kids would have a better start in life, do better in school and have fairer chances in life, and this could also decrease crime rates over time.
If we take away the desperate need for people to find any kind of work that they can, it could liberate people to engage their passion and contribute to their communities through volunteer work and the arts, or to take risks, e.g., with a small business, that they wouldn’t otherwise do. When people have basic economic security, it enables them to dare to do new & different things.
I believe that a basic income program will help build social solidarity, to rebuild a sense of the collective, that we are part of neighbourhoods and communities.
People who live in poverty spend their money on basic necessities, like food, shelter, clothing, activities for their kids. They won’t be taking their money out of the country for expensive vacations. That will have an economic multiplier effect, and could make a profound impact in smaller, more rural communities that are struggling.
Research shows that poverty has a high economic cost and that poverty reduction has a big return on investment. A report by the Ontario Association of Food Banks suggested “With the huge savings that could be achieved over time by reducing poverty and its burdensome social costs, the province could very likely pay for the need mix of policies without asking taxpayers for anything more.” The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has calculated that every dollar invested in reducing poverty would result in about a $2 return on investment. In other words, poverty reduction is at worst cost-neutral and likely would save money over time.
Well, the negatives or drawbacks depend on the type of basic income program that would get implemented. There are different models. Some on the political right would like to see the implementation of a basic income in order to reduce other government supports and services, like public housing. This would not improve the lives of people living in poverty or likely reduce poverty overall, because people would have to pay more of their income for what are now public services. We would not see the types of economic savings I mentioned above in that case.
I am a proponent of a progressive basic income that is part of rebuilding the social safety net, would improve the lives of people living in poverty and would result in dramatic reductions – or the virtual elimination – of poverty.
The best sign of the effectiveness of basic income or any poverty reduction/elimination strategy would be that food banks are able to close up because of lack of demand. Those who founded food banks back in the 1980’s thought that food banks were an “emergency” response to an economic downturn and that they would close once the economy improved. I have a report from a meeting of food banks in Toronto and area from 1991 that wrestles with the question of when and how Toronto food banks might close. An effective basic income would allow food bank users to acquire food like everyone else. They still might choose to attend hot meal programs, food skills programs, community gardens and community kitchens – but there will be more freedom and choice to do that, not a sense of dire need.
Like social assistance, the problem with a fixed amount is that the cost of living varies quite a lot across the province – from Toronto to Windsor to northern Ontario. As I understand it, the rationale for making it less than the LICO ( low income cut-offs) or the LIM ( Low Income Measure) is that people will get other federal income transfers, like the GST credit. But I suppose part of the idea of the pilot is to assess if the amount is enough.
Others, like Guy Caron, who is a candidate in the federal NDP leadership race, has proposed a basic income that would be set using the Low Income Cut-off or LICO which is adjusted for city and family size.
This is probably the most common oppositional response to the idea!!
If you ask people if they (personally) would just stay home, everyone says “of course not!.” The reality is that about 70% of people who live in poverty are working, which speaks to the inadequacy of minimum wages.
The reality is that any basic income, whether the Ontario pilot amount or an amount tied to the LICO, is not luxurious. Most people will want to seek paid employment to supplement their incomes. And most people work for reasons other than money.
And the other issue that this objection is based on is that the only work that is valuable is paid employment. We do all sorts of unpaid, unrecognized, invisible work at home and in our communities, including all the volunteer work that gets done for and at food banks. This is valuable and important work. What basic income will help us do is to decide where to put our time and energies in activities that are meaningful and important for us and for our communities. Some people may “stay home and be lazy” for a little while. Most people would not do that for very long – and if they do, perhaps they need other services to help them find meaningful activity.
The benefits of a progressive and effective basic income for those living in poverty and for our communities overshadow the objection that a small percentage of people might “stay home and be lazy.”
The idea of a basic income is a very exciting move forward in our communities. To learn more about the basic income pilot project, visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-basic-income-pilot
More Resources:
Kingston Action Group for Basic Income Guarantee
Isn’t it amazing what can happen when a community comes together to complete a project and make a difference?
With your generous support, North York Harvest has become the primary food bank in northern Toronto. Thanks to you we are able to give nutritious food to over 77 food programs in the city.
But what if we could take it another step further? What if we could produce a food product to even out the supply and quality of food received through donations?
The vision of North York Harvest is a community where all members are able to meet their food needs. Our mission is to engage our community in meeting the food needs of northern Toronto by providing dignified food assistance, education and long-term food solutions.
As a community, we have succeeded in kickstarting a new social enterprise thanks to partnerships right here in Toronto.
Through the generous support of the Metcalf Foundation’s Inclusive Local Economies program, we were able to forge important partnerships with other local organizations working to improve food security in unique ways. Through these partnerships, we launched three incredible initiatives – we began delivering food to local child care centres, we launched the Leadership In Logistics skills development program, and we piloted community-oriented food production system. Through the last project, we successfully brought an affordable, nutritious dry soup mix to our local community.
With funding secured we were able to team up with FoodShare and Food Starter, to create a dry soup mix that promotes access to affordable, delicious and nutritious food for all.
To get started, North York Harvest asked our agencies what types of food were most needed and hardest to supply for the clients.
Within the agencies, there was a need for a hearty, vegetarian soup made with beans and rice that was nutritious but also easy to prepare. For certain dietary needs, it was also important that the soup was low in sodium but still flavourful without being spicy.
Together through our partnerships, we made a unique Moroccan Lentil Soup. It was sold in FoodShare’s Good Food Boxes and the Grab Some Good pop-up markets operating on various TTC subway platforms. And what is even better is for every soup sold… another soup goes on the shelf for someone using the food bank!
To prepare the soup mix, we teamed up with the Experiential Learning program at York Humber High School. The students in this program have special needs and are encouraged to learn life skills through hands on training and real life experience. Each week the students would join Vanessa Yu from caterToronto at Food Starter to prepare several bags of soup that would be given to our community.
When I met the kids I asked what their favourite part of making the soup was and they seemed to all enjoy sealing up the soup packages the most! They even took soup home to cook and enjoy with their families.
The kids’ teacher, Carmi, says ‘We were so fortunate to have had the opportunity for some of our students to participate in a meaningful real work experience with the NYHFB. Students really enjoyed the experience and gained valuable employability skills while increasing their self-esteem. It was wonderful to watch them learn new skills and progress each week. We all look forward to continuing our partnership with the NYHFB and thank them for all their support over the last few months.’
Thank you to all of you that made this happen:
| The Product – Moroccan-Style Red Lentil Soup
Combination of red lentils, brown rice and five different spices Low in calories, high in fibre and a source of protein No added sugar, salt, flavours, colours or preservatives Easy to prepare – just add water and simmer for 40 minutes Delicious on its own, or scalable to individual dietary needs – a great base for added meats, vegetables, salt or spices to taste Sold by FoodShare and distributed to food banks by North York Harvest Food Bank — promotes access to affordable, delicious and nutritious food for all
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Join the conversation – we’d love to know your thoughts! Leave a comment below.
Hi, I’m Lauren Skippen and I’m the new Digital Fundraising Coordinator at North York Harvest! I am very happy to be a part of the team here and can’t wait to share NYHFB’s stories with you on our blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn!
I just moved back to Toronto after spending five years in Ottawa. In Ottawa I was the Digital Communications Administrator for Shepherds of Good Hope, the city’s largest homeless shelter and supportive living non-profit. I have a passion for helping people in my community and sharing their stories!
In my short time here at North York Harvest I have already seen the amazing impact your support has on the community.
I have been on the truck and assisted unloading hundreds of boxes of food you have donated. This food goes out to several community programs including food banks, shelters, prenatal programs and churches. We also went around to grocery stores and picked up the food donations that you place in the bins while on your shopping trips. It’s eye-opening to see the work first hand and if you ever have a free day, I invite you to come and volunteer with us on the truck.
Yesterday I spent the morning at the Oriole Food Space during one of our food bank drop in programs. Helping out and meeting some of the many people that use the services there really impresses on me how impactful your support is. Because of you, families do not have to go hungry and it feels good to be part of such an important cause.
Because of you, North York Harvest can provide food for over 13,000 people EVERY month. WOW! I am looking forward to spending more time getting involved with the programs, the volunteers, the clients and YOU. I am excited to share their stories with you and share with them what an amazing and generous group of supporters we have!
I am looking forward to communicating with you and hope to hear from you often so don’t be a stranger and join me on this journey.
If you would like to contact me directly, please email me at lauren@northyorkharvest.com or DM me on Social Media and don’t forget to sign up for our Enews to keep up with our monthly happenings!
