Tag Archive: food banks

1. Celebrate the Season

   November 9, 2016 3:24 am Comments Off on Celebrate the Season

   CBC is at it again! It’s almost time to celebrate the holidays and our community by coming together for CBC’s Sounds of the Season in support of local food banks.

   Every year the event gets better and better, raising food and money to help families in Toronto meet their food needs. Last year Sounds of the Season raised $695,000 & collected 21,000 lbs. of food! 

   Whether you participated last year or haven’t had the chance, we want YOU to be a part of this incredible holiday event! Sounds of the Season runs from November 1^st – December 31^st and this year you can join our school champion Beaumonde Heights JMS as they lead the charge for NYH.

   You see, for the very first time CBC and the Food Banks are launching the CBC School Food Drive. 5 schools in Toronto have been chosen – each representing a different food bank, to raise food and funds to provide meals for the holiday season.

   

   As we all know, many people rely on food banks each day to ensure their families don’t go hungry. About 1/3 of people that use food banks in our city are children – and some of those students attend Beaumonde Heights JMS.  I spoke with Tricia, a teacher at the school and she informed me that there are families in their school feeling the crunch of not being able to provide enough food.

   “These students understand what it is like to use a food bank – whether their own family uses the services or if their friends do.  They know how important it is to support others in their community”.

   Beaumonde Heights JMS has hosted food drives for North York Harvest for 14 years! And this year is no different.  All students get involved in the food drive, showing love for their school, neighbours and community.

   They are ready to go with unique fundraising initiatives such as school dances, a “soup kitchen” where students receive a warm meal at lunch and themed food days. Monday is Meat/Protein, Tuesday is Pasta Tuesday, Wednesday is Wah Wah Baby Wednesday, Thursday is Throwback-bring your childhood food favourites and Friday is Heart Smart Fridays!

   The students always have a fun way to join together to help others in need.  Each student is empowered to be an “Agent of Change”. They are encouraged that even though they are young, they can still take that one step to make a difference.

   As a celebration for their incredible work, each school in the School Food Drive will nominate students to join us on December 16 for a huge food sort challenge! CBC’s very own Dwight Drummond has been nominated team captain of Beaumonde Heights JMS. He will inspire the kids in the ways of helping others in their community.

   

   We are absolutely thrilled to partner with CBC, Beaumonde Heights JMS and other food banks in the city! Together we can work towards a hunger free holiday!

   Want to help Beaumonde Heights JMS raise money in support of the community? Click here to help them out!

   OR You can make a donation to support the event RIGHT NOW to be a part of this wonderful annual tradition! Be sure to designate your gift to North York Harvest Food Bank so you know the food will be distributed to your neighbourhood food bank. You can even join the main event on December 2^nd at CBC to hear some incredible music and watch your favourite CBC personalities live in action.

   Curious to learn more about CBC’s Sounds of the Season? Check out all of the festivities here!

   For updates on the exciting School Food Drive – be sure to follow us on Facebook & Twitter!

   
   
   
   
   

2. Agency Profile: Room to Grow Empowers Participants

   July 24, 2015 3:36 pm Comments Off on Agency Profile: Room to Grow Empowers Participants

   When you picture a trip to a food bank, you probably don’t envision the most pleasant experience. And hey, that’s fair. While food banks are a vital community service, accessing them can sometimes be an embarrassing and anxiety inducing experience. To deal with this reality, North York Harvest, and food banks around Canada are investing in a model that helps make the experiencing of coming to a food bank more empowering and dignified for the participant.

   If you read last week’s blog you know all about the “choice food bank model”, and have an understanding of why many food banks are making the switch to this system. But while you likely agree with the theory behind the choice model, making it work in practice, and having it fully adopted by a food bank is another story altogether. Has the choice model been successful with North York Harvest member agencies?

   For the answers I went to Aja Peterson, North York Harvest’s Agency Development Coordinator who has been championing the choice model for many years and as part of North York Harvest’s Agency Investment Project. The program, generously funded by Trillium, the RBC Foundation and individual donors like you, is a three year pilot project designed to build the capacity of our member agencies and ensure that agency clients are receiving the most dignified service, are being connected to other support systems in the community, and are able to focus on their lives without worrying where their next meal will come from. The choice model aligns with all of these goals, making it a natural fit for agencies participating in the project.

   “I think at its core the choice model helps people to better understand each other” Aja told me. “It breaks down stereotypes, and creates a more empowering environment, which is one of the Agency Investment Projects main objectives.”

   Over the last few months Aja has been hard at work helping North York Harvest member agency Room to Grow Food Bank make the switch to the choice model. Operating out of Westway United Church, Room to Grow partners with the Room to Grow Child Centre, and serves low-income residents in the Central Etobicoke area.

   When participants arrive at Room to Grow, rather than receiving a box of pre-picked items, they are encouraged to put together their own food hamper which will suit their own cultural and health requirements. The process has gone a long way towards empowering participants, but how has it worked for food bank staff and volunteers?

   “Like any change, it was a bit scary at first, but the volunteers at Room to Grow were so receptive to new ideas, and really supported the transition to the choice model”, said Aja said. “They tell me all the time how great it is to interact with their fellow community members and how they are building more meaningful relationships, getting more face-to-face time with participants, and getting to know their stories and more about their families”.

   Of course beyond volunteer adoption, there are many other factors that go into choice model integration. A project of this size requires capital, space, training, shelves, purchased food and staff support, which necessitates a large investment of time, resources and money. This is why we continue to look to your donations, as they ensure that programs like the choice model will continue to thrive.

   When I ask Aja if she’s noticed any changes at Room to Grow since the transition she seems thrilled with the progress.

   “Before the switch to the new model the division between the participants and volunteers was very pronounced. All the food was behind dividers which made the room feel dark and cramped, and bit suspicious because you couldn’t really see what was going on behind the walls. Now we’ve taken down the dividers and the room feels brighter, warmer and more welcoming. We have more space to walk around and it really feels like a community hub, rather then a waiting room.”

   “Room to Grow is doing so well”, she continued. “They have the capacity, the right attitude and are really working hard to make sure that this project is successful.

   Choice model food banks like Room to Grow aren’t just making the food bank experience more empowering, they are helping to build community and connection out of a very tough situation. We at North York Harvest know that the choice model is the best thing for our member agencies and hope that this system will become a staple of our organization.

   What can you do to help? Help agencies like Room to Grow by making a donation today. Your support will enable NYH to continue investing in our agencies, providing training, building capacity like new shelves, storage or fridges as well as contribute to acquiring better food, which ensures that our participants have a greater variety of fresh and healthy food to choose from.