Tag Archive: food drive

  1. Hunger Awareness Week

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    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!

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    Did you know?

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    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.

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    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:

    bank_cash_coin_coupon_discount_money_piggy_sale_save_saving-512Make a Donation

    A donation of $1 provides 3 meals

     

    082207-green-jelly-icon-business-cart5Run 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

     

    hand-heart-iconVolunteer

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

     

    conference-512Get 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!

     

     





  2. Because of YOU!

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    This year because of you amazing things happened!  You made a huge impact in the lives of people in your community that didn’t have enough food to eat!  Your donations, food drives, volunteering and support provided an incredible amount of food to people in Toronto!  Thank you!

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    Cheers to another amazing year and onto the next!

    View in PDF

     





  3. Get Involved with Us!

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    Join us as we strive for a Hunger Free Toronto!

    There are many options to get involved and help our neighbours that are hungry!  Together we can provide healthy food for people in our community.

    Run a Food and Funds Drive!

    There are many different ways to run a Food and Funds Drive – from bake sales, to jeans day to games at a fair. It’s easy and a fun way to team build with your family, friends or coworkers!

    Just contact Leslie or Click Here to get started.

    Get more great tips on how to Amp Up Your Food and Funds Drive!

     

     

    Attend an Event with Us

    Getting together for an event is so much fun!

    We’re in your community at BBQ’s, concerts, festivals and more. Come and see us soon!

     

     

    Volunteer

    There are so many great volunteer opportunities to help people meet their food needs!  You could volunteer in the food bank serving clients, help out in the warehouse, hop on the truck to deliver food, join us at events and much more.  Check out our volunteer opportunities.

     

    Make a Donation

    Your support directly impacts the lives of thousands of adults, seniors and children in our city and ensures that our neighbours have enough to eat.  DONATE TODAY!

     

    Donate Food

    You can pick up some extra items and drop them off at your local grocery store or fire hall. Or you can make a donation right to the warehouse (including fresh items) at 116 Industry Street.  Not sure what to donate? Check out our list of top suggested food items.

     

     

    Get Social!

    Let’s get together on social media!  We’d love to hear from you on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or LinkedIn!

     

    Sign Up for the E News!

     

     

    Whichever way you choose to get involved – we are happy to have you!  Thank you so much!



  4. Students for Change

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    Food is extremely important in all of our lives.

    It’s a part of each day, whether we are sharing it with others or enjoying it by ourselves.  We make decisions as to whether we want to go to a restaurant to eat, cook something up in the kitchen or just take it easy and order something right to the door.

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    Whether your favourite food is pizza, salad, cookies or the many kinds of food out there, we all have opinions and preferences about the food we eat.

    We can’t live without it.

    This is why I find the statistics of hunger in our own backyard so disheartening.

    Did you know…?

    Over 15,000 people use the food bank in North York every month.

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    1/3 of food bank users are children.

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    54% of people using the food bank will miss a meal to pay other bills such as rent and transportation.

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    33% of the people we serve will go without food at least one day per week.

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    But what can we do?

    As you may recall, a few months ago I told you about Niraj Maharaj, the coordinator of the Food 4 Thought Food Bank at York University.  He saw the need for a food bank for students on campus and went to work making it happen.  He’s not the only person from York University that is making changes in his community.

    Recently, I got a chance to speak with Rumsha Siddiqui, a student at York U. She heard about hunger statistics in her class and was shocked that this is such a prominent issue in a city such as Toronto.  Hearing about this problem made her motivated to make a difference.

    “We are all part of one big community and it bothers me that some of us go to bed with a full stomach while others don’t. I felt the need to do something.”

    Rumsha and her classmates banded together to raise awareness in the community and help their neighbours in need.

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    They visited schools to do presentations, teaching others about hunger in the city.

    They approached local stores to sponsor their food drive.

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    They even ran a cotton candy event with the local student clubs to raise awareness.

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    Rumsha and a few of her fellow students also joined us in the warehouse to volunteer sorting thousands of pounds of food.  She told me how she had a great time helping out.  She said she admired the dedication of the volunteers and staff.

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    In total, the York University students managed to raise 5800 lbs. of food for their neighbours in need! With that incredible donation, 580 people in Toronto will receive a hamper full of good healthy food and be able to put food on the table tonight.

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    What advice does Rumsha have for anyone wanting to fundraise for charity? 

    “Reach out to local businesses – even if you get rejected, don’t give up! We ended up having 3 stores sponsor us and raised a lot of food.  Don’t forget to reach out to your local community and give them the facts.  Just like we had no idea how big of an issue hunger is in our city – most people are also shocked to find out.”

    Rumsha had a great time fundraising for a cause she cares about and so can you!

    The Every Plate Full Campaign is on right now and it’s such an easy and fun way to get together with your friends, classmates, coworkers or even just as an individual to raise money for people in need!  Click here to find out more!

     

     





  5. Volunteer Appreciation 2016!

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    We love our volunteers! Without their dedication and heart, we wouldn’t be able to provide food for over 13,000 people in Toronto every month! THANK YOU!

    To celebrate their commitment, we have put together a slideshow of many of our fantastic volunteers in action!

    Join the Team! Volunteer with Us!





  6. Volunteers: Vital to Our Community!

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    Without the help of our INCREDIBLE volunteers it would not be possible to serve over 13,000 people every month!

    VOLUNTEER WITH US!

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    Check out the PDF Here!





  7. Amp Up Your Food & Funds Drive!

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    One of the best ways of getting involved with your community is by holding your very own food & funds drive!  This is an awesome way of collecting money and non-perishable items that will go towards providing many meals for your neighbours in need!

    Did you know that there are MANY ways to raise food and funds that are exciting and fun?

    Check out some of these great ideas!

    Host a talent show!

    Invite the entire school including parents and the surrounding community!  You can charge 2 cans for admission and have us come and support you! Don’t forget to live tweet everything!

     

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    Have a street or parking lot party!

    Put out a food collection bin and run a carnival and BBQ. Game tickets can go towards NYH!

     

    Cram a bus!

    Cram a bus with as much food as (safely) possibly and join us at the food bank!  We would love to give you a tour and show you how we sort the food!

     

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    Dress Down (or Up) for Work

    In order for an employee to come wearing something other than usual, they must bring two cans of food or a monetary donation.

     

    Host a Competition for Who Brings in the Most Food & Funds

    Give out prizes like:

    • most food collected per site/office/classroom
    • collected the most money
    • best photos of the food collection staging

     

    Host a Silent Auction or Raffle

    Funds raised from your event will help support over 13,000 people a month with their food needs!

     

    Host a Dance

    Attendees can bring food or a donation to the food bank as their entrance fee.  You can even have a dance off to find out who has the best moves!

     

     

    Have a Garage Sale

    Clean out your unwanted items (one person’s trash can be another’s treasure!) while raising money for your neighbours that are hungry!

     

    Still not sure what kind of fun ideas there are when helping your community? Check out this great list of 87 IDEAS!

    Ready to have a great time and provide meals to your neighbours that are hungry? Contact Leslie at leslie@northyorkharvest.com or 416-635-7771 ex 21 TODAY!

     





  8. 2016 Spring Food Drive

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    Every groundhog day, Canada patiently waits to see what Wiarton Willie has to say about how much longer we have to wait out the winter.

    Well… as of February 2, the little critter said we had six more weeks to go and if you’re like me, you can’t wait!  It’s almost time to break out the spring jackets and put away the toques and mittens for another year!  It’s time to walk around in the sunshine surrounded by trees and flowers blossoming and the smell of fresh cut grass.

    Another thing to be excited about is the annual Spring Food Drive!  It kicks off on February 24 and will propel us into the spring season!

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    You make this important event possible each year!  With the food and funds raised during this drive, your neighbours will have enough food to help them get by through off peak times such as the summer.  When kids are on summer vacation, they lack access to the breakfast and lunch programs run by their schools.  But with your help, they will have enough food to give them the energy needed to be healthy and active kids all summer long!

    Don’t let your neighbours in need go hungry!  Help us raise $100,000 & 100,000 lbs. of food this spring and make sure no one in our community goes without food!

    So how can you get involved in this great event?

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    Not sure what food to donate?  No problem!  We have a handy list of all of the top needed items at the food bank! If you’re looking through your pantry for items to donate, be sure not to donate anything expired – please check out this blog post on best before dates for more info.

    Because of your generosity, we are able to provide food for over 13,000 parents, children and grandparents every month! 

    Thank you for making a difference today and every day! 

    Sign up for updates from North York Harvest!