Tag Archive: food bank client

  1. The many homes of North York Harvest Food Bank

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    Over the past 40 years the roof at North York Harvest Food Bank has changed, but our foundation stayed the same: Work toward a community where all members are able to meet their food needs.

    Every time North York Harvest has moved, it allowed us to expand not only the space, but also our programs, our community partnerships, and our advocacy work to fight the underlying causes of poverty.

    As we prepare to move again into our new Community Food Hub at 4050 Chesswood Dr., here’s a look back at how we’ve turned every new home into an opportunity for growth and deeper connection with our community!

    1986-1991 – 3640 Weston Rd. Unit 11

    North York Harvest Food Bank moves into its first humble home: A 3000 sq. ft. warehouse. That year, 158,337 lbs of food were distributed to the community.

    The food bank grew rapidly, and by 1990 North York Harvest expanded its space to include both Units 10 and 20, and rented an additional 2,700 sq. ft. space next door to keep up with the need in North York.

    Key milestones

    • Welcomed 43 partner agencies
    • Installed 2 walk-in fridges, vastly expanding food distribution
    • Published our first annual report and monthly newsletter sharing low-cost recipes and information about local community programs

    1992-2002 – 4478 Chesswood Dr., Unit 16

    A sepia-toned photo from 1992 of the North York Harvest Food Bank team standing in a warehouse. 

    This new space opened the door to more food served in our community, and in our first year we distributed 1 million lbs of food!

    This home also represented a shift in focus beyond emergency food support to addressing the underlying causes of poverty.

    Key milestones

    • Through the Who’s Hungry survey of over 800 food bank users across the GTA, North York Harvest helped reveal that chronic food insecurity was deeply tied to poor health outcomes
    • Launched community initiatives including Making Connections, which brought fresh food from local farms into the city that would otherwise go to waste
    • Partnered with the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants to launch free tax clinics for low-income individuals

    2002-2015 – Bathurst Heights Secondary School – 640 Lawrence Ave. West

    A group of people pose for a photo next to a red North York Harvest Food Bank truck.

    North York Harvest relocated to the back of the former Bathurst Heights Secondary School. This came with three loading docks and a completely rebuilt walk-in freezer/cooler, which doubled our capacity for food distribution.

    For the first time ever, North York Harvest could accept and distribute large-scale donations of perishable food — and by 2014, 75,000 lbs of fresh foods were distributed in a single year.

    Key Milestones

    • Expanded our in-house hamper program into the Community Action Resource Centre, providing not just food, but referrals to ESL programs, newcomer settlement services, employment services, and more
    • Founded our Bathurst-Finch and Oriole Community Food Spaces to deepen our impact across North York
    • Implemented the choice model, which moved from prepacked hampers to dignified food assistance by allowing clients to choose the food they wanted

    2015–Present – Learning Enrichment Foundation – 116 Industry St.

    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.

    By 2015, 13,000 individuals relied on North York Harvest Food Bank for support in meeting their food needs. Our home at 116 Industry was not only larger, but it came with additional food racking, a walk-in fridge 3x larger and a freezer 2x larger than our old space.

    But equally important was the work that went on to challenge the underlying causes of poverty. This included formally adopting ‘focused advocacy’ into our mission, creating real pathways out of poverty, and providing platforms for our community members to have their voices heard and push for lasting change.

    The food support we provide remains critical, but the job creation, the innovation, and the advocacy is essential to achieving our vision of a community where all members can meet their food needs.

    Key milestones

    • Creating our workforce and training program Leadership in Logistics, which provides practical experience and pathways out of poverty into full-time employment
    • Running our FoodReach social enterprise, which helps provide more affordable food to non-profits across Ontario while supporting North York Harvest’s operations
    • Forming the Community Advocacy Group, which unites clients to organize around key issues, including affordable housing and social assistance, through rallies, deputations, petitions, and more

    2026– 4050 Chesswood Dr.

    A large empty warehouse.

    With 30,000 clients depending on North York Harvest Food Bank every month, and the lease at our current space ending next year – North York Harvest is preparing to move again to meet the growing and changing needs of our community.

    Our next move will be a transformational one. This 30,000 sq. ft. Community Food Hub will expand our Leadership in Logistics program and FoodReach, triple food storage capacity, and bring our community together to develop initiatives that fight the root causes of poverty.

    This isn’t just a new food bank, it’s a launchpad for a more resilient, equitable, and empowered community. 

    Learn more about our Crisis to Catalyst campaign to support this bold next chapter.

  2. Commemorating 40 years of community care

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    A crowd of people mingle in a large warehouse during an event at North York Harvest Food Bank.

    On Friday August 8th, we celebrated our 40th anniversary by opening the doors to our soon-to-be home at 4050 Chesswood Drive!

    Throughout the day, 1000 attendees showed up to tour the space and reflect on what four decades of community care has meant for North York.

    We were delighted to welcome past and present staff and volunteers, community partners, and donors who have each contributed to transforming North York Harvest into what it is today.

    A group of people stand in front of a wall with a timeline in the shape of interconnected honeycombs, weaving together pictures and text.

    Guests followed a timeline of our progress from the moment they walked in, with photos and milestones capturing four decades of food served, voices heard, dignity preserved, jobs created, connections forged, and real change fought for every single day.

    North York Harvest Food Bank would not be possible without the generosity, passion, and dedication of our community. 

    We thank everyone who joined us to commemorate our past and look to the future at our most transformative chapter yet: A Community Food Hub that will reimagine what a food bank can be, and redefine how we fight food insecurity.

    But we can’t do it alone. That’s why we recently launched a bold $6-million capital campaign that will turn an empty warehouse into a vibrant hub of food distribution, workforce development, and social enterprise.

    Support this campaign to help create real, lasting change that will be felt for generations.

  3. Welcome to Lawrence Heights

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    Lawrence Heights in Photos

    Did you know North York Harvest Food Bank’s very first Community Food Space was in Lawrence Heights?

    Finding a long-term permanent space has been challenging, but for the past three years, our Lawrence Heights Community Food Space has been located within the Lawrence Heights Community Centre — nestled in the small dance studio.

    We’ve been here for a few years, but our history in Lawrence Heights goes back much further.

    A man stands in the middle of a busy North York Harvest Food Bank warehouse with his arms outstretched.

    Our History in Lawrence Heights

    The neighbourhood of Lawrence Heights was planned in the 1950s as the first large-scale public housing project located outside of the former City of Toronto boundaries. It’s spread across 100 acres in an area north of Lawrence Avenue between Bathurst and Dufferin.

    In 2002 North York Harvest moved into Bathurst Heights Secondary School at 640 Lawrence Ave. West, where we launched the Community ActionA door with the North York Harvest Food Bank logo and text that reads "Community Action Resource Centre" Resource Centre (CAR-C): An in-house emergency food program providing groceries to nearly 6,000 Lawrence Heights residents each year.

    In 2005, the City of Toronto identified Lawrence Heights as one of 13 ‘priority neighbourhoods’ that required more investment to address high levels of poverty, lack of affordable housing and social infrastructure including libraries and schools, and community programs like employment services and food banks.

    CAR-C evolved to meet the needs of the community by supporting clients with referrals to English programs, settlement services, healthcare, and tenants rights organizations.

    While North York Harvest moved to 116 Industry in 2015, we continued operating a food space to serve the Lawrence Heights community.

    Our Lawrence Heights Community

    A person works in front of a mirror, loading food onto a table at the North York Harvest Food Bank.

    At Lawrence Heights we serve a diverse and vibrant community, supporting 1500+ clients every month.

    • Two community food programs run every week
    • Nearly 30% of clients are 55+
    • 1 in 4 are children and youth

    The Food Space operates as a pop-up; every day before service, volunteers set up tables and shelves, configure the registration  area, and stock the food space with non-perishable and fresh foods.

    Since 2018 we have also offered home delivery to a very small number of eligible clients who are unable to make it to the food bank.

    Meet Ayten!

    A woman with long brown hair and glasses wearing a red North York Harvest Food Bank shirt smiles.

    Meet Ayten, the Food Space Manager at Lawrence Heights!

    How long have you worked at North York Harvest Food Bank?
    “I began my work with North York Harvest Food Bank in 2018 through a partnership with the Flemingdon Health Centre at the Oriole Community Food Space, where I focused on community outreach. I officially joined North York Harvest in 2020, and for the past two years I’ve been working as the manager at the Lawrence Heights site.”

    What do you like about working at North York Harvest?
    “I enjoy working with a team that cares about making a difference.

    Working at the food bank isn’t just about distributing food to clients. I’ve seen that anyone can have a hard time getting enough food, for a little while or a long time. Parents especially want to make sure their babies have what they need; providing help with diapers and formula is very important when things are difficult.”

    Green Markets

    A sign for the Lawrence Heights Green Market listing prices for various fruits and vegetables.

    In the summer, we operate weekly green markets to provide fresh and affordable produce to our clients. 

    North York Harvest Food Bank purchases produce from our social enterprise, FoodReach, and sells it at cost to community members.

    FoodReach uses bulk purchasing power to negotiate lower prices with suppliers, which we can then pass on to our community.

    The same quality produce you’d find at a grocery store, but without the high mark-up – because everyone should have access to healthy food!

    Meet Catalina!

    Two people wearing red North York Harvest Food Bank aprons stand at an outdoor market in front of trays of produce.

    Catalina (right) started working at North York Harvest in 2023 as a placement student. She has since worked as both relief staff and a Community Food Space Trainee as part of the Canada Summer Jobs program.

    Catalina has helped out across all of our food spaces, but during the summer she is supporting the green market at Lawrence Heights!

    What’s your favourite part of working at North York Harvest?
    “Genuinely some of the loveliest people I’ve ever worked with! Across the different sites, all of the volunteers do such great work making food service smooth and welcoming. I also feel that this organization is led with a real passion for progress that I see reflected in the work we do.”

    What’s something everyone should know about NYHFB?
    “We want to help you find what you need, be it food or connection to resources or help finding a network of support. There’s a lot of us working here that have been in your shoes and want to make a welcoming, respectful experience for you.”

    Advocacy

    A woman holding a yellow clipboard with a red North York Harvest Food Bank sticker on it stands outside.

    Across each of our Community Food Spaces, you’ll find our Community Engagement team onsite working with clients to ensure their voices are heard through petitions, rallies, and more. They also provide platforms for people to share their lived experience and join our Community Advocacy Group to help shape North York Harvest Food Bank’s advocacy strategy.

    Our Community Engagement Ambassador Fe was at Lawrence Heights recently to collect  signatures for the No One Left Behind petition, which demands immediate action from all levels of government to protect community members from the impact of tariffs through a rent freeze, a moratorium on evictions, and by providing affordable food prices.

    A table with literature and a petition sign-up for the North York Harvest Food Bank.

    Thank you for joining us at Lawrence Heights!

    Four people wearing North York Harvest Food Bank aprons stand together for a group picture.

    And thank you to our donors, 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.

  4. What happens to food after it’s donated?

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    The journey of a food donation

    Have you ever wondered what happens after you drop off food at North York Harvest Food Bank?

    Lettuce give you an example…

    A man wearing a green branded shirt stands at the back of the warehouse next to boxes of food being delivered.

    Our community partner Future Fresh Farms arrives at the warehouse on a Friday morning with a generous donation of their fresh, locally grown lettuce! They turn unusable, grey commercial space in Toronto into urban vertical farms to produce aeroponically grown food.

    Over the past three months they have contributed 1,062 lbs of fresh produce to fight food insecurity and support our community!

    A person wearing a red North York Harvest Food Bank shirt holds lettuce in a warehouse setting.

    Once food arrives, our Operations team receives the items, weighs, and tracks them so we know how much food we have on hand to distribute, how long we’ve had it, and when/where it will be delivered to support individuals and families in need.

    People sort through food items in a food bank warehouse.

    For non-perishable items dropped off from food drives or partner organizations, they’re added into the donation bins in our sort room to be inspected for safety by our diligent volunteers, and then sorted into boxes by category.

    North York Harvest supports 30,000 clients in meeting their food needs every month, so food has to move in and out of the warehouse quickly and efficiently – especially perishable items like lettuce!

    Each week we distribute about 46,000 lbs of food across our four community food spaces and our network of 37 partner agencies.

    En Route

    The lettuce is loaded up first thing in the morning into one of our delivery trucks.

    First stop: Our Lawrence Heights Community Food Space.

    A man with skids of food lowers them from the back of a delivery truck in a parking lot.

    The Community Food Space is located within the Lawrence Heights Community Centre in the dance studio.

    Our driver Oscar arrives at Lawrence Heights ahead of their program day at 11am. Volunteers help unload skids of food to put on the shelves and into the fridge as they set up for a busy day providing nourishing food to our community.

    A person wearing a red North York Harvest Food Bank apron holds their thumbs up and smiles with fresh lettuce visible in front of her.

    Tables, chairs, and shelving are pulled out of storage and loaded with non-perishable items from the morning’s delivery. In addition to non-perishables, clients will also have access to milk, eggs, bread, cucumbers, and of course, lettuce.

    Lawrence Heights serves a diverse community, supporting 1340 clients every month in meeting their food needs.

    A person wearing a mask holds a bag of fresh lettuce, smiling.

    One of our community members, Flor, says, “I was so happy to see lettuce available!”

    “It’s hard for seniors to find work. I’m having surgery soon, and I need the nutrients to be healthy, but when I go to the grocery store everything is so expensive,” Flor says.

    “Whenever I get fruits and vegetables from the food bank, I like to make them into healthy juices,” she adds.

    Every day our community comes together to ensure neighbours facing food insecurity have enough to eat. Every donation: From bottles of cooking oil, to pasta, and fresh produce makes this critical journey from our warehouse to our food spaces and into the hands of someone who needs it.

    Learn how you can donate food and funds to support our neighbours in need.

  5. Photovoice Project: Meet Hanna

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    Our Photovoice project draws from a participatory research method that uses photography and stories. Our aim is to provide a platform for our community to voice their lived experiences around food access. Hanna is a North York Harvest Food Bank client who agreed to share her story.

    By Hanna Subbota,
    Submitted April, 2024

    I am Hanna Subbota, and my daughter is Diana. We are Ukrainians, from a city in the Dnepropetrovsk region. I graduated from ZaporizhzhyaA woman stands over a stove holding a can of food she is pouring into a pot, smiling. University, where I studied medicine and worked as a nurse for five years before I became a chemistry and biology teacher for 18 years – and then I had to leave Ukraine.

    It is so sad what is happening in my hometown. Our city continues to be shelled every day. It is not safe anywhere.

    My 17-year-old daughter and I left the city of Nikopol on March 7, 2022, at the beginning of the war because in front of us is Energodar (by water, 8 kilometres away) and the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, which was captured by our enemies on March 4, 2022.

    They started to scare us that the nuclear power plant would be blown up. If this happens, it will be worse than Chernobyl. A lot of people will die from radiation within a radius of 100-1000 kilometres. 

    We went through a difficult evacuation: We lived for 7 days in Poland on cots, 2 days in Germany, and then arrived in France, where we received a visa to Canada. We lived in France for almost 2 years, but over the last 3 months they stopped paying us assistance. 

    We began to accumulate debts, plus we borrowed money for tickets to Toronto, since our program (Assistance to Ukrainians) ends on March 31, 2024.  

    We received $4,500 to help the Ukrainians, but we paid $2,800 for two months rent for one room. We paid off debts, gave away the money we took from other people for tickets to Toronto – so there is no money left. I don’t have anything.

    A woman stands with an employee at a food bank who is wearing a red North York Harvest Food Bank apron.Right now, I have an urgent need to find housing. I am getting evicted in four weeks and it is very stressful – it is an emergency again for me and my family.

    I have not found a job yet. I do not speak English well. But North York Harvest Food Bank came to the rescue. 

    Now every Wednesday, once every two weeks, I go to the food bank for the necessary products: canned food, cereals, sweets, vegetables, fruits, herbs, and hygiene products.  

    We began to receive the necessary products from which we prepare food: our favorite borscht, mashed potatoes, porridge, salad. I am hoping to take courses to improve my English by so I can work in Canada. But first, I need to be financially stable and find housing.

    We are very grateful for the help of North York Harvest Food Bank and all the people who help us.  

    Thank you very much!!!

    A woman stands in her home around a table full of food.

  6. How your support changed a mother’s life

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    Your support changed a mother’s life

    Josephine was 20, pregnant, and terrified the first time she came to North York Harvest Food Bank.

    She was living in a shelter after fleeing an abusive relationship, unsure how she would provide food and shelter for her baby.

    Josephine was navigating motherhood by herself, but thanks to your support – she wasn’t alone.

    At North York Harvest, not only did she receive nutritious food to keep her and her baby healthy, she found support with resources like housing, furniture, clothing, and prenatal care.

    When she no longer had to focus all her energy on surviving, Josephine was empowered to return to school and start her own construction business. 

    Hear from Josephine how the care of her community helped her get back on her feet and provide food security to her family.

    A donation of any amount provides critical support to community members just like Josephine. You can change a life today by making a special gift 

  7. Community BBQ to Get Out the Vote this federal election!

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    Removing barriers at the ballot box

    As the need for food banks is reaching record highs, voter turnout in our community is reaching record lows.

    There are many barriers stopping people from making it to the ballot box.

    After paying rent and utilities, on average our community members only have about $7 per day to spend on food, transportation, medication and all other expenses. It’s not easy getting to the polls when getting there eats into your food budget. 

    The No. 1 reason people walk through our doors is the high cost of rent, and far too many don’t even have a permanent place to call home. It’s not easy exercising your right to vote when you don’t have a permanent address. 

    That’s why North York Harvest Food Bank held a Community BBQ to Get Out the Vote on Sunday, April 13.

    We had free food, games, raffles, face-painting, advocacy, and free transportation taking attendees to the polls to cast their vote.

    Over 600 people attended the BBQ throughout the day, with 75 folks heading to the polls. Many community members who voted said if it weren’t for this initiative, they wouldn’t have been able to vote.

    Watch a short highlight reel from our BBQ below!

    That week, our Community Engagement team also visited each of our four food spaces to shuttle over 100 clients to vote and ensure no one was turned away from exercising their right to vote. For some, it was their very first time voting.

    “This whole initiative, whether it was the BBQ or the shuttles from our food banks to the polling station was really just about making sure the people most impacted by the affordability crisis are having their voices heard in this election,” says North York Harvest’s Senior Advocacy Specialist Chiara Padovani.

    By removing barriers in the voting process, nearly 200 community members cast their ballot this federal election!

    Four people wearing red North York Harvest attire smile together at an advocacy tent at a community BBQ.

  8. Read our latest Impact Statement!

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    Building stronger communities, together

    Five people in red North York Harvest Food Bank aprons have their arms around each others' shoulders, smiling in a food bank setting.

    In this Impact Report, you’ll learn not only who you are helping today, but how we are working alongside our community to fight for long-term solutions to food insecurity.

    Emergency Food Support

    Between September 2024 – February 2025 we distributed 1.4 million lbs. of food across our network, ensuring each of the 30,000 clients we support every month received nutritious food.

    October was our busiest month, reaching 31,224 client visits.

    Our caring neighbours rallied together to hold 124 food drives to supply essential non-perishable foods like pasta, cooking oil, and canned meat and vegetables! 

    We also worked with 33 partner organizations including bakeries and manufacturers to procure additional food such as fresh produce.

    Advocacy Actions!

    With 1 in 10 Torontonians turning to a food bank, we know more food won’t solve food insecurity. That’s why our Community Engagement team was busy advocating for policy changes and mobilizing our network for real change. 

    Some highlights include:

    (September) We held our Final Community Advocacy Open House, where clients were invited to discuss the issues that are making it the mostTwo people post sticky notes ranking issues including housing and employment on to a paper. challenging for them to meet their food needs, and how we can work together to make our voices heard and demand solutions.  

    (October) Our Community Connector Daffodil spoke at Queen’s Park ahead of the Raise the Rates Rally, calling for an end to legislated poverty by doubling social assistance rates. 

    (November) Community Engagement delivered over 300 postcards from FeedOntario’s postcard campaign from clients who wrote to their MPPs about the affordability crisis and how it is impacting their ability to meet their basic needs. 

    (November) Executive Director Ryan Noble speaks with CBC, says crisis is being ignored by those in power

    (December) North York Harvest’s Senior Specialist of Advocacy, Chiara Padovani, joins a Feed Ontario panel to bust myths about food banks and the people who use them. 

    (December) North York Harvest clients joined together for a Community Art Build where they made signs, buttons and posters to use at upcoming rallies. 

    (January) North York Harvest deputes at the Toronto City Budget Committee, calling for increased funding for drop-in meal programs that serve life-saving meals all across our city. 

    (February) Ryan joins Mayor Olivia Chow to call for an expanded student nutrition program to fight child hunger. A man speaks into a microphone at a press conference for funding the expansion of the student nutrition program. In the background, fellow speakers smile.

    (February) Our Community Engagement team rented a bus to help mobilize 60+ clients to attend the City Budget Rally. Afterwards, we headed inside City Hall to hand-deliver our petitions calling for City Council to support a TTC Fare Freeze, more support for renters, an expansion of the student nutrition program, and increased funding for drop-in meal programs. Together we won all those things! 

    (February) Ahead of the provincial election, we set up Election info tables at our food spaces to share information with our community members on how, where and when to vote, and to provide non-partisan information on where the four main parties stood on some of the issues that impact our community members most.

    None of this would have been possible without your support; thank you for being there for our community.  View the Impact Statement