Tag Archive: food banks canada

1. Planning for the Holidays

   December 16, 2016 7:21 am Comments Off on Planning for the Holidays

   It’s that crazy time of year! The cold weather and December brings a busy time for us all and if you’re anything like me, you’ve got some holiday plans on your schedule too.  I’m tired just thinking about all that’s going on before we kick off the new year.

   What do the holidays mean to you?  Is it about family and celebration?  Or maybe a time to reflect on your past year and what is to come?  The holidays can be different for every person.

   But, the holidays can be harder for some people than others.  Sometimes they can be much harder than they were just the year before.

   Meet Penny.

   Penny has two daughters aged 7 and 11.  As a single mom, she works full time while her daughters go to school and take dance classes.

   Everything was going well until the unexpected happened.

   All of a sudden, Penny was also needed to be caregiver to her two elderly and sick grandparents.  She had not planned for this kind of bump in the road.

   We’ve all had those times where something unexpected has happened.  Luckily for some people there is financial support or family to fall back on during those times.  Others, like Penny find themselves trapped.

   “I didn’t know what to do.  I’ve always been a planner but I didn’t know how I was going to plan my way through this,” Penny says of the experience, “All of a sudden I had to take care of the whole family – not just myself and the girls.”

   With her family depending on her, she knew that she needed outside help.  She wouldn’t have time or money to take care of everything – especially during this time of year.

   That’s when Penny ended up at the food bank.

   Between the hamper that she receives every other week from her local food bank, store sales and coupon clipping; Penny has found a way to ensure that everyone in her family is able to eat nutritious meals each day.
   

   “If not for the food bank, there’s no way I would be able to feed my family and give my kids the holiday celebration that they deserve.” Penny says, “The holidays are much harder than usual but I’m glad to know that I can get help – anyone can.”

   Penny has been saving up bit by bit to be able to give her kids gifts and a nice dinner.

   “I want them to have what other kids have, they shouldn’t be left out of a holiday.  Thanks to the help we are getting from the food bank – they don’t have to be.”

   Because of your support during the Winter Food Drive – Penny will be able to serve a healthy holiday meal to her whole family and that is something to celebrate!

   Hunger doesn’t hibernate and we can make a difference for families just like Penny’s!

   

   Let’s work together for a hunger free holiday!  Help us raise $250,000 and 250,000 lbs. of food for the Winter Food Drive. 

   No one should go without enough food to eat.

   
   
   
   
   

2. You Make It Happen!

   December 6, 2016 6:14 am Comments Off on You Make It Happen!

   This post is all about YOU and how absolutely GRATEFUL we are to have you in the North York Harvest family!

   YOU make it possible to provide food for your neighbours that would otherwise go hungry.

   YOU come out to volunteer, donate funds, show support and be a part of our community.

   Each month your generosity touches more than 15,000 people in Toronto. Thank you!

   Without YOU we wouldn’t have been able to help your neighbours access food this year.

   This year we shared with you stories from many people.  People who were directly impacted because of you.  And those stories are just the tip of the iceberg!

   

   From Jenna, who started grade four this year and loves science and gym class.  And her mom Trish, who had her hours cut at work.  Trish wasn’t sure how to pay the bills.  YOU ensured that Jenna didn’t go to school hungry!

    

   Your support helped Katherine, a dietician at a prenatal drop in program.  With your help, she was able to teach women about healthy eating on a budget.  YOU ensured that they would be able to feed themselves while they were pregnant and continue to provide nutritious meals as their children grow.

   More than 800 York University students use the campus food bank every week.  YOU made sure that they were able to access the food they needed to help them concentrate on their studies instead of hunger.

   

   Marlene, a volunteer at a local food bank was able to give her neighbours more than just food when they came in hungry.  She was able to connect them with free services throughout the city to help them with parenting classes, recreational activities, resume building and more.

   Over 300 Syrians fleeing war and violence came to the Oriole Food Space after arriving in Canada.  There they have found more than food for their families, but the opportunity for a new life, work, friends and a chance.  A chance they wouldn’t have gotten without your support.

   

   And Jennifer who is only 17 years old.  She found herself pregnant and homeless…instead of her original plan to go off to college and start her career.  YOU made sure she was able to feed herself and her son during these tough times.

   

   These are only some of the people that you helped this year alone!  There are thousands more people that you directly impact through your generosity and support!

    

   We can’t do it without you and we couldn’t imagine trying!

    

   Thank you for all you do – it makes a world of difference – to us and the neighbours that you may never know.

   
   
   
   
   

3. Sharing What We Have

   October 21, 2016 3:00 am Comments Off on Sharing What We Have

   

   Guest blog by Lynne

   “We take a lot of things for granted,” Lynne, long-time donor of the food bank shares. “Basic things like clothes, blankets and especially food.”  This is one of the reasons that drew Lynne to the food bank. This is her story.

   For the longest time we didn’t have a refrigerator.  I would take my toy buggy with me and walk with my mom to the grocery store every day.  Food was scarce but I don’t remember going super hungry. We lived by the waterfront and there were always men asking my grandparents if we had work for them.  “We share what we have,” was my grandma’s philosophy. She would always invite them in and even when there was no work, she would make them some lunch before they left. Kids were always coming to our house for lunch.  Food and community were a big part of our lives.  That was a long time ago. But even today food and community are still an important part of my life.

   I eventually went on to study home economics and early child education at university. Eventually I started working in the inner city supporting moms with prenatal care and nutrition. There are a lot of families that were financially compromised and we spent a lot of time focusing on the importance of healthy food – where to get it, how to make it economically and what they could use to make healthy meals without spending too much.  But it wasn’t only about food.  After all, community is a big part of the equation. After my first husband passed away I was a single mom trying to work, take care of my children and make ends meet.

   I often would share food with my neighbours who were also struggling, often because life was hard and lonely and sharing food brought us together and brought so much joy.

   It’s no surprise that the same focus on sharing what you have, food and community was passed from my grandparents through my family to my children.  When our kids were growing up, food and giving was a part of the family culture.  We tried to eat dinner together as much as we could and during the holidays we would come together to make Christmas hampers.  It was a family tradition. Even now, though my kids are older we still come together, four generations of family and they do it every year.

   I started to support the food bank because it simply made sense. There are so many families out there without enough food to eat.

   I may not be able to give to all of them directly but I can partner with an organization that is working to do that.  You don’t have to be wealthy, you just have to share what you have. I tell my kids that all the time.  Because none of us exist on our own.

   We are part of something bigger, bigger than just ourselves and giving is a part of that, a part of our lives.

    

   And that is exactly what North York Harvest Food Bank, with the generous support of Lynne and donors just like her are doing.  Like the philosophy that Lynne’s grandparents lived by whatever we have we share. Join Lynne and the other amazing NYH supporters to ensure that no family in Toronto goes hungry this fall.

   Donate a generous gift of $500 or more and join Lynne in the Harvest Circle – our leadership donors paving the way for a Toronto where no one goes hungry.

    Want to make another gift?  Every $1 donated provides 3 meals for someone that is hungry! Click here.

   
   
   
   
   

4. Changing Lives Through Food

   October 14, 2016 8:25 am Comments Off on Changing Lives Through Food

   Sometimes we don’t realize how much our actions make a difference to people we’ve never even met. But I want to take the time to share with you how your actions of supporting your local food bank have changed lives and come full circle.

   Mr. and Mrs. Perez moved here with their family over a year ago fleeing a very difficult situation back home.  When they arrived, they found themselves needing to go to the food bank to help them get back on their feet.  

   Not long ago I had a chat with them as they were spending time volunteering with us.  They told me that the reason they now volunteer in the food bank is because they want to pay it forward.

   “I want others to know that someone out there cares for them.  Coming from the situation in our past – it can be hard to understand that there are people who actually care.”

   When the Perez family came to Canada, they struggled to find jobs because they didn’t speak English – which in turn meant they struggled to put food on the table for their children.  “It wasn’t until we came to the food bank that we realized people really cared, from volunteers, to staff and donors – everyone wants to make sure that no one goes hungry.  In a country like Canada, no one should have to.” Mr. Perez told me.

   Unfortunately, the number of food bank users in our city keeps growing.  According to the latest Who’s Hungry report, there were over 900,000 visits to Toronto food banks last year. That is a 48% increase in the suburbs since 2008. 

   Mrs. Perez told me that on their first visit to the food bank she was surprised at the kind of options they had, “I was able to find ingredients to make recipes that I used to make for my family back home.  It really helped my children as a lot of this new Canadian food was strange to them”.  Personally when I see the kind of donations that come into the food bank, I am also surprised by the vast variety and selection that sometimes gets donated.  I think it is great that just because a person needs to use the food bank they still are able to have a choice as to what goes into their food hamper, just as they would if going to a grocery store. It’s also important that we have choice to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies.

   It’s great know that Perez family have adjusted to Canada and glad to be a part of our community. It can be really hard picking up and changing your life. There are many worries that one can have in a situation like that – whether or not you’ll be able to have a meal shouldn’t have to be one of them.

   These days Mr. Perez works at a full time job and speaks English very well.  His kids go off to school each day having had a healthy breakfast and he just wants the same for people that are now where he was. Each week the Perez family go to the food bank they used to use but now they do to stock shelves and help others pick out groceries to feed their own families.

   Mr. Perez loves giving back to his local food bank, “I am very grateful that I can give back to people that are just like I once was; worrying about whether their children are going to have something to eat that day or not. If not for the food bank, I might still be worrying.”

   More than 16,000 people will use a food bank in your community this month. Because of you they will be able to leave knowing that their kids (and themselves) will not have to go without a nutritious meal to help them get back on their feet.

   Please consider making a generous donation or volunteering to help our new neighbours get back on their feet.

    

   
   
   
   
   
   

5. The Meaning of Thanksgiving

   September 30, 2016 8:23 am Comments Off on The Meaning of Thanksgiving

   

   Guest Blog by Tina

   What does Thanksgiving mean to you?

   To me it means family, neighbours and community.

   I wasn’t always a member of your community.  My family came here over 20 years ago for a fresh start and I was met with open arms by wonderful families that I now consider to be my family.

   As new arrivals to Canada, we didn’t have the means to celebrate a Thanksgiving meal – but we were invited to share the holiday with a wonderful family that had us over to their home. And that really meant a lot.

   They told us that the true meaning of the holiday is being grateful sharing what we have – they even told us more about our new country and the incredible fresh start and adventure we are about to enjoy.  Thanks to their hospitality – I also had my first taste of pumpkin pie and it remains one of my favourite desserts up until this day!

   These days I volunteer at a local community center that supports newcomers just like I once was. People can go there for food, ESL classes, cooking lessons and job placement support. I get to witness firsthand how generosity from people just like you go a long way to helping people build a new life here in Canada.

   When I think about that special gift we received on our first Thanksgiving – this time of year really gets me in the mood to help people that are struggling to get back onto their feet.  People right in our community.

   This year I will be working with my community center, their staff, volunteers and even families who we’ve helped in the past and are now coming back to pay it forward, to ensure families who are struggling in the neighbourhood have a hot and festive meal on Thanksgiving and have enough food at home all month long.

   And I want to invite you to join me and do the same.

   Let’s Leave Hunger Behind and make this a Thanksgiving to remember. So that 20 years from now, when new families share their stories, they, like I do, will remember with joyfulness, their first fall in Canada.

   We can’t do it without you though!

   Join us for the 2016 Fall Food Drive to make this Thanksgiving and the rest of the fall a special time everyone can be grateful for!

   There are many ways you can join me and the thousands of amazing people in our community working to make a difference!

   Donate – For every $1 you donate, you provide 3 meals to a person that is hungry!

   Volunteer – There are many great opportunities with the Fall Food Drive – join the NYH truck drivers to pick up and deliver food or come out to one of the many great events planned to raise food for our neighbours!

   Run a Food & Funds Drive – This is a fun way to work together as a team with friends, family, classmates, coworkers and anyone else that would like to make a difference!

   Join the Public Sort –Sort food at the NYH warehouse on October 9 for a great way to spend Thanksgiving weekend with your family while ensuring food is sorted and ready to be delivered to families in need!

   Get Social! – Use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media to spread the news about the food drive with these great shareables!

   During this season of Thanksgiving, join me in showing our neighbours that we care about them.

   This Thanksgiving, let’s Leave Hunger Behind.

    

    

   
   
   
   
   

6. Racing Against Hunger

   September 23, 2016 8:12 am Comments Off on Racing Against Hunger

   

   Guest Blog by Leslie Venturino

   What is it that makes you realize fall is finally here?

   Is it the coolness in the air? The leaves changing colours? Everything is now pumpkin spice flavoured?

   For me and my daughters, Emma & Sophia, fall kicks off each year by participating in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. This year will be our 8th year participating in the marathon and our 4th year on Team North York Harvest. The route is great and the scenery around the city is absolutely gorgeous.

   

   It’s a real Toronto community event complete with bands, entertainment, cheerleaders and people in costumes. We’ve been known to have a carrot joining our team for many years now! It’s great for first time marathoners but also the advanced athlete who wants to qualify for the upcoming Boston Marathon. Anyone that enters gets a t-shirt and a great finisher’s medal that comes with complete bragging rights.

   

   The first year I entered, I tried running with my daughter Sophia on my back. She was only two at the time and let’s just say my run time wasn’t going to get me on the Olympic team. But that doesn’t matter. The important part is getting together with my family and fellow community members to reach a common goal.

   And that goal is all about providing healthy meals for our neighbours that are hungry. Each year Team North York Harvest raises money so that families will be able to access the food they need. Since the team has been active, over $200,000 has been raised.

   That’s 600,000 meals for children, parents and grandparents living right here in Toronto!

   Even my girls have taken the initiative to raise money for the cause with their friends at school. This year they plan to raise enough funds for 300 meals. It really warms my heart to see how caring and thoughtful my children have grown to be. And a lot of that attitude came from taking part in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

   

   So won’t you join me this year in lacing up and leaving hunger in the dust on October 16, 2016?

   Join Team North York Harvest today for an unforgettable experience!

   Can’t join the team but still want to provide meals for families in your community? Make a gift on behalf of Team North York Harvest.

    

    

7. Hunger Awareness Week

   September 16, 2016 9:02 am Comments Off on Hunger Awareness Week

   Canada is such an amazing country, there is so much freedom and liberties we have that many countries don’t.  This is why I always find it shocking when I see the statistics of people that go hungry in our country.

   Hunger Awareness Week takes place from September 19-23. This is a week where Canadians like you and I band together to raise awareness for the people in our Canada that have to go without something to eat.

   In fact, on September 16 Hon Laura Albanese, MPP joined us at North York Harvest Food Bank to help us sort food during the First Annual Great MPP Food Sort!

   

   Did you know?

   

   Each day children in our communities may go without a meal. Poverty can lead to poor nutrition and that can affect a child’s grades  and quality of life in the long run.

   

   Every province and city in the country is affected by hunger.

   Who uses the food bank in Toronto? They range from many ages and backgrounds.

   • 1/3 of food bank users are children
   • 15% are seniors
   • 40% are on long term disability
   • 40% have graduated from college or university

   But what can we do?

   We can all take a stand and make a difference in the lives of people that are hungry!

   Get involved with your local food bank and the issue of hunger in your community in the following ways:

   Make a Donation

   A donation of $1 provides 3 meals

    

   Run a Food & Fund Drive

   Get your friends, family and coworkers together.  Be creative and have fun while giving back.

    

   Donate Food

   Great items to donate are canned fish, canned beans, canned tomatoes, rice & baby products

    

   Volunteer

   There are many ways to volunteer! Join us in the food bank, warehouse, on the truck, at events or in the office.

    

   Get Social

   Spread the word on all of your social media accounts about hunger in Canada! Find some Hunger Awareness Week tools here.

    

   You can make a difference for the people that are hungry in your community!

   Check out more photos from the Hon Laura Albanese MPP visit on Facebook

   Find out more about Hunger Awareness Week!

    

    

   
   
   
   
   

8. 2015/2016 Stakeholder Impact Review

   September 9, 2016 1:26 pm Comments Off on 2015/2016 Stakeholder Impact Review

   The Joy of Food

   This has been one incredible year.  We want to celebrate YOU and all you do for people in your community with the release of our 2015/2016 Stakeholder Impact Review.  Because of your support, thousands of people are able to experience the #joyoffood!  In fact, almost 5 MILLION meals have been served and it wouldn’t have happened without you by our side.

   Click here to see your impact!