Tag Archive: food banks canada

  1. We Had a Great 2015!

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    2015 was a great year at North York Harvest Food Bank and it couldn’t have been done without you!

    Enjoy our 2015 year in review video!

     

    We can’t wait to see what 2016 holds!

  2. Seniors Bonding Through Food

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    I remember when I was a kid, we would always take the long journey (at least it seemed at the time) to
    seniors2my Grandparents’ house to spend the holidays.  My grandmother would always cook a large family dinner for all of us including my aunts, uncles and cousins.  There was always a scent of fresh baked bread throughout the house; I can still remember it to this day.

    As the Holiday Season quickly approaches, you’re probably thinking about what kind of delicious food to make and share with your friends and family.  Perhaps your grandparents passed down some holiday traditions and recipes that you can’t wait to use.

    Thinking about my grandparents and family around the holidays makes me think of the seniors that are alone at this time of year.   My heart goes out to the thousands of senior citizens that access a food bank every month; just this year alone there has been a 35% increase in usage of food banks among seniors*.

    group1One of our largest Community Food Spaces, Bathurst-Finch, reflects the rise of seniors using food programs.  Many seniors living in the Bathurst-Finch area do not have a family or friends to spend time with; many have emigrated from other countries.  Sometimes they feel as though they have no one and nowhere to go.

    Because of the support of community members like you, we are able to help these seniors by providing healthy meals and a sense of community.  Bathurst-Finch runs a community kitchen program that is a great way for them to get together for companionship and bonding over the joy of food. The seniors reach out to one another to make sure that they are not alone and isolated, especially around the holidays.  A wonderful program that shows kindness and inclusion to those that need it most.

    As part of the Community Kitchen program, many of the seniors would share with each other recipes group2from their home country that they taught their children as they grew up.  The community even recently put out a cookbook of most loved recipes!

    The main goal of the Hot Pot Cookbook Project was to support socialization of seniors as well as learning from each other culturally.  The name was inspired by a traditional way of cooking in Asia that gathers community members around a simmering “Hot Pot” to cook together.  The cookbook really showcases the amazing people, culture and food found in the neighbourhood.

    Support the Bathurst Finch Community

    In the holiday spirit of sharing recipes through generations, I wanted to share with you some amazing dessert recipes from the Hot Pot Cookbook to enjoy with your loved ones for the holidays.

    1. Black Bean Brownies
    2. Apple Pie “Marianna”
    3. Chickpea Blondies

    Make sure you let me know how your baking turns out!

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  3. Winter Food Drive 2015

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    It’s that time of year!  When your family will celebrate another year shared together.  Usually the celebrations feature an abundance of wonderful food – so much food that it can cause many to start thinking about their new year’s resolutions.

    Though filling your belly with delicious and decadent foods is part of a holiday tradition, it starts to make me think of my neighbours in need.  While many people will be indulging in large dinners and treats, too many other people in our city won’t even have enough food to put on the table.

    “It’s not just the food, its knowing there is someone in our community we can trust, someone who will be there for us.” – Isha – Read Isha’s Story

    That someone is  YOU!

    This December over 13,000 children, parents and grandparents will come to the food bank.  Because of YOU, they will receive the food they need to feed their families.

    Join us this December to Light Up the Holidays with the Gift of Food!

    The Winter Food Drive starts today with a goal of raising $250,000 and 250,000 lbs. of food.

    Together we can make a huge difference.

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    Get involved and sprinkle a little extra joy into the holiday season.

    Not sure what kind of items to donate?  Here’s a handy list of food items that are in high demand, especially around this time of year. (Don’t forget – no expired food please)

    The top 5 needed items are:

    • Baby Food
    • Canned fish
    • Canned chickpeas and other beans
    • Cooking oil (personal sized bottles)
    • Soup

    You can provide hope and joy to a family in need this holiday season!

    Thank you for generously supporting your community!

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  4. Isha’s Story

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    This is Isha’s story.  But it is a story familiar to so many people in northern Toronto.

    Isha lives with her 2 siblings, mom and grandma in public housing in northern Toronto.  Her mom works several jobs and her grandma is elderly and struggles with failing health.  Isha often has to take care of the meals for her family.

    “Mom works a lot so I help by cooking and getting food for school ready but by the end of the week the fridge is usually empty.”

    Often skipping lunch so her two younger siblings have enough to eat she is grateful for the afterschool program that she can attend.  “They get some good food for us and on Wednesdays we cook a whole meal together and I can take leftovers home. Usually it’s only a day or 2 until mom can buy more groceries. But when it’s longer, we can go to the program and get some extra food to help us get through. I’m not sure what my family and I would do without this help,” she shares. “It’s not just the food, its knowing there is someone in our community we can trust, someone who will be there for us.”

    This is the impact that you have.  When you donate to North York Harvest Food Bank, we make sure there is enough food for the people who need it most.

    Help people just like Isha by making a gift today!

    **Isha’s name has been changed by her request

  5. CBC – Bringing Canadians Together

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    CBC has been a part of every Canadian’s life since 1936.  No matter whom you are, what city you’re in, how much money you make, if you were born here or immigrated – you know the CBC.   There’s no easier way for Canadians to feel connected to each other, than by hearing the stories from the CBC.  I’ve never been to Nunavut, but because of the CBC I can hear stories from the families that call it home.

    The CBC brings Canadians together and on December 4, it will be hosting their annual Sounds of the Season bringing us together in support of food banks.  It’s a chance for Canadians to get into the holiday spirit and unite in support of one incredible and worthy cause – feeding your community.   What better way to kick off the season than to be a part of Sounds of the Season?

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    Last year $36,906 was raised for North York Harvest  – that’s 110,718 meals for Canadians struggling with hunger. We are incredibly grateful to CBC and everyone that participated and donated to the event.  It really made an impact on the lives of the 13,000 people that North York Harvest serves each month.

    Every year the event is always a roaring success, drawing huge audiences across the country.  This year proves to be no different, with an incredible list of performers on the agenda.  Some of the performers this year will be Francesco Yates, The Toronto Mass Choir, The Heavyweight Brass Band, Terra Lightfoot and many more!

    Even though the weather is cold and frightful, the season still has a warm, cheery feeling when you come together with your community.  Whether you plan on celebrating the holidays or not, join us in celebrating the community and make a huge difference in the lives of people that are hungry.

    So on December 4th and all through December, join North York Harvest and CBC in celebrating this wonderful holiday season!   Click HERE to join in on the festivities! (Don’t forget to designate you gift to NYH)

    Thank you for generously donating to North York Harvest and lighting up the holidays with the gift of food. Because of YOU, families in northern Toronto will not go hungry.

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  6. Meet Madelaine

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    Have you ever wondered what it is like to volunteer at your local food bank?  We talked with Madelaine, a North York Harvest volunteer to find out.

    MadelaineMadelaine has been volunteering ever since she was 14, an example learned from her mother.  Once Madelaine retired, she started looking for a volunteer position in her community. She was thrilled to know NYH was right in her neighbourhood.  Madelaine knows of the struggles of not having enough to eat. During World War II in Germany, her parents sometimes did not have enough food available.

    I asked her about any surprises she had when she first started working in the food bank, and there definitely were a few.  She was taken aback to see that so many people in her own backyard do not have enough to eat.  She also noticed the lack of community space for programs, “It’s unfortunate that the city doesn’t provide a free location for the food bank,” she says.  With over 13,000 individuals using North York Harvest’s services each month we work really hard to ensure there is space for all our programs.

    Volunteering is obviously a very important aspect of Madelaine’s life, “Everyone works together as a team.  We work hard.  I am tired by the end of my shift but I find it quite rewarding.” But I couldn’t help but ask her how she stays motivated to keep coming week after week.  She told me she volunteers with the food bank because of her love of helping people and being able to interact with the clients, volunteers and staff.  Because the people that use the food bank services are right in Madelaine’s neighbourhood, she sees many of them outside of her volunteering. “I run into a lot of clients.  Most of them stop and talk with me on the street or at the mall.”

    As a longtime food bank volunteer, Madelaine sees first-hand what kinds of foods are needed the most.  Most people need milk and vegetables, though both can run low come the end of the month.

    Food Hamper

    A typical food hamper from a NYH food bank

    As different people have many dietary needs, she does tend to get special requests.  Many people ask for Kosher, Halal or vegetarian foods.  Madelaine has got to know many of these clients well and does her best to help them if she can. “Most of the food is donated so we only have what we get, but if we have it, I will give it to them,” she told me with a smile.

    Though it can be tough to realize many people don’t have enough to eat, Madelaine can see the silver lining in the kindness of others.  She recalls a time it was near the end of her shift and she had given the last bag of rolls to a woman.  The last client of the shift came in right after and Madelaine had let that person know that unfortunately, they were out of bread.  “The woman who had the last package of rolls offered them to the other client. The other client insisted that they share.  I was very touched.”

    Madelaine’s philosophy in life is to treat people the way she would like to be treated.  She also believes that people should volunteer their time at organizations like North York Harvest because they couldn’t exist without volunteers.  “We all need to help each other.”

    When asked what one could do if they didn’t have time to volunteer?  “They can donate!” says Madelaine immediately.  “Food, or especially money so we can buy the food we need the most.”

    Here at North York Harvest we appreciate our many volunteers that assist with every aspect of the organization. It really does ‘take a village’ and we couldn’t run without you.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact lisa@northyorkharvest.com

    Want to help but are too busy right now to volunteer?  No problem.  Donate securely online and we will ensure that money goes to helping the clients that Madelaine serves so faithfully.

     

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  7. Hunger and Halloween

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    Boo!

    It’s that time of year again where we all get dressed up in our favourite costumes and scare up some fun.

    One thing that is truly scary though, is hunger in Canada.  Did you know that 13,000 of our neighbours use the food bank every month?  Another scary fact is that 1/3 of the food bank users are children.

    Yet with your help and the support of some fantastic initiatives put together by caring youth in our community, this Halloween can be about more than costumes and candy. This Halloween, join NYH and some wickedly awesome people to make hunger disappear.

    trick

    Trick or Eat is truly a great initiative put on by youth in Canada.  During Halloween, thousands of students from across Canada will go door to door collecting food and funds for community organizations (like North York Harvest)!  It’s a great experience for young people to come together as a community and make a difference when it comes to hunger in Canada.

    In preparation for Trick or Eat – Meal Exchange has organized a #TweetUp to discuss hunger in Canada.  We hope you can join us!

    We will be discussing food insecurity in Canada. What people are doing about it and what impact the newly elected federal government could have on the issue.

    Then when you go trick-or-treating on Saturday, don’t forget to ask people to give you a food item along with your candy.

    So come join the #TweetUp on Wednesday October 28th from 2pm-3pm EST using the hashtag #TrickOrEat and following @nyhfb and @mealexchange 

    RSVP on Facebook!

     

    We-Scare-Hunger

    We Scare Hunger is an initiative to assist with the growing food bank use in Canada.  This Halloween, Instead of just trick or treating, join NYH and Free the Children, to collect non-perishable items for the food bank.  What a great way for your kids to help others while having fun at the same time!

    So sign up today!  All it takes is a group of generous individuals like you to get together and dress up for the cause.  Not only will you get to help over 13,000 people that use NYH food banks every month but you might get some candy too!

    Signing up is easy!  Contact Leslie leslie@northyorkharvest.com , put on your costume and get ready to Trick-or-Treat on Saturday.

    This Halloween, let’s trick or treat for a city without hunger.

  8. Scotiabank Marathon

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    This past Sunday, for the 8th year in a row, we took part in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon!  It was cold.  It was snowing.  But all participants were still in great spirits!

    Our goal was to raise $15,000 in order to provide 45,000 meals to our neighbours that are hungry.

    WE’RE ALMOST THERE! We’ve already exceeded $12,000!

    Even though the race is over, YOU can still be a part of the team!

    DON’T DELAY – Donations can only be made until the end of October so please DONATE NOW

    Thank you to all our participants for getting up to race with us at 8:00 in the morning on a chilly Sunday.  Your dedication will to help feed people in your community.  We’d also like to extend our gratitude to the donors and sponsors for your generosity!

    We were excited to be joined by many of our veteran teammates in person and spirit.  Including the Fun Runners team with Peter Zissis and Chris Hilborn, who have been running with NYH for 8 years!   We also had some new faces, including Executive Director Ryan Noble and Board Member Tony Cancelliere.

    Our incredible teams this year were:

    • Fun Runners with Peter Zissis & Chris Hilborn
    • The Accidental Roamers with Anoop Chawla & Anette Chawla and team
    • NYH team – Leslie, Ryan, Emma, Sophia, Tony Cancelliere & Harold Banguero and family
    • Kevin Munn and family

    And as always, our tradition at the race is the Treasurer of the Board (Kevin Munn) best represented our team by wearing a great costume!

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    What our team had to say:

    “Taking part in the charity walk was a lot of fun and a great feeling – there was a great sense of community among the participants that represented all walks of life” – Tony Cancelliere

    “I had my best time ever and also helped families.” – Accidental Roamers

    “It was a lot of fun to walk with all my friends at the Scotiabank Marathon and see the thousands of other people.  We also raised money for the food bank.” – AR

    “My kids and I were super excited for the event.  It was the best 5KM yet Thank you to family and friends for supporting the North York Harvest Food Bank!” – Leslie Venturino

    Please help us provide 45,000 meals to your neighbours in need by donating here.