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Islamic Society of Vaughan joins North York Harvest for day of community giving
At North York Harvest we’re doing everything we can to ensure our community members can meet their food needs – but we can’t do it alone.
On November 30 the Islamic Society of Vaughan stepped forward with an incredible gift of $25,000 that was used to purchase nutritious food to support our neighbours in need. Through their donation, we were able to purchase:
6,048 cans of sweet peas
5,100 bags of pasta
10,752 cans of kidney beans
4,320 cans of pasta sauce
Fifty members of the Islamic Society of Vaughan also joined us at our warehouse to sort and prepare the food for distribution themselves, sorting over 27,700 lbs. of food!
It was a joyous day of community care, teamwork, and compassion that will send positive ripples out into our community for the weeks to come.
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How a food drive became a source of community pride
What happens when you combine a DJ booth, a townhouse complex, and neighbours who are passionate about giving back?
The LaRose townhouse complex has answered that it’s a much-anticipated neighbourhood party that collects food and funds for North York Harvest Food Bank!
Matt Foran spearheaded this food drive starting in 2021, getting his family involved to make posters and encouraging his neighbours to join together to help people facing food insecurity.
With the soaring cost of housing and food, “The food drive notion is very relatable because people recognize it’s tough for them too,” Matt says.
Fighting food insecurity also runs in the family: His father started the Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank, and his cousins started a food bank out in Sudbury.
Every year the neighbourhood comes together for the Community Giving Day, an event where folks can drop off donations, but also hang out and connect with their neighbours while Matt often DJs to really make it a party!
“It’s become a source of community pride,” Matt says, “and it’s become something that people look forward to. When they see me walking my dog they ask ‘when it’s going to happen, what’s our goal?’”
Each year they try to start with a goal of $3,500 but this year Matt said they had to be ambitious because of the growing need they are seeing in their community.
This year the food and fund drive exceeded their target, bringing in $6,400 plus 465 lbs of food!
The Community Giving Day has even spread beyond the LaRose townhouse, with donations coming in from all over the city.
“it was amazing to see the list of donors and people I hadn’t met before, they heard about it through friends and neighbours. It’s wonderful it brings people together like this,” Matt says.
Thank you to Matt and everyone at the LaRose townhouse complex, this generosity will directly support nearly 30,000 client visits across our network, and help individuals and families meet their food needs.
Be a Harvest Hero
Learn how you can get involved and make a difference as we work towards our vision of a community where all members are able to meet their food needs.
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How our community came together during disaster
On July 16, a tremendous rainfall caused mass flooding and power outages across Toronto, and North York Harvest Food Bank got hit, hard.
Summer is always a challenging time for food banks. North York Harvest saw the highest number of client visits on record in May, and for weeks had been running critically low on essential foods like pasta and canned fish. In reality, we were already in crisis mode. Then the flood happened.
Our loading bays were flooded, our freezer broke, one of our delivery trucks was damaged, and water poured into the warehouse.
On top of the infrastructure damage from the flood and power outage, about $20,000 worth of milk, yogurt and other high quality foods were spoiled. These are highly valued products, which our clients often can’t afford to buy for themselves and their families.
The effects of this damage rippled outwards to our community. As a result, we weren’t able to provide as much food to our community food spaces and the dozens of agencies we support. Some of our partner agencies were also impacted, losing large amounts of inventory and facing significant damage to their food spaces.
Community Champions
We put out an urgent call for help, but we could not have imagined the incredible response from our community!
We were in a crisis, but we weren’t alone. Individuals, community groups, local businesses, and organizations all showed up to help North York Harvest get back on its feet. Our phones were ringing off the hook; everyone was asking how they could help.
Immediately, the generosity of our supporters was put into action: Shelves, cupboards and fridges were refilled to ensure our clients could access the food they need.
This couldn’t have happened at a worse time, but this situation reminded us how incredible and compassionate our community is.
After the flood
Thanks to our generous supporters, we have been able to repair the delivery truck and get it back on the road. Unfortunately, multiple attempts at repairing the freezer have been unsuccessful. There is a temporary fix in place to keep it operational for now, but it will need to be replaced – and soon.
The reality is North York Harvest Food Bank has outgrown its current warehouse. Our space and equipment were not designed to meet the demands of the growing number of individuals who rely on our services.
Given that our warehouse serves as the main distribution site for four community food spaces and hundreds of food programs, maintaining the integrity of our supply chain is crucial. To reduce the risk of another breakdown, we are looking at offsite cold storage space as a contingency.
“I think this shows just how fragile the network of food banks really is to deal with the crisis that we’re seeing,” says Ryan Noble, Executive Director of North York Harvest Food Bank. “This flood was an acute shock, but we’ve been dealing with a chronic crisis of food insecurity and poverty in this city for years.”
Thank you to everyone for the support during this challenging time, and for joining with North York Harvest as we work toward our vision of a community where all members can meet their food needs.
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Climbing a mountain to fight food insecurity
Would you hike up a mountain 15 times in support of North York Harvest?
It’s a big ask, but that’s exactly what our new Board Chair Christine Farrugia accomplished recently!
She joined the 29029 Everesting endurance hiking event on June 7-8 to challenge herself and support her community. With her friends, she ascended Sun Valley in Idaho 15 times over 32.5 hours (with breaks for sleep and eating).
“It was great that I could do this challenge for myself, while also making it about community and giving back to North York Harvest,” she says.
Christine not only completed this hiking challenge, she also exceeded her fundraising goal for a total of $5,660!
Since joining the Board of Directors in 2020, Christine has become acutely aware of the growing need in our community.
“What I’ve been telling my friends and coworkers, because I think a lot of people don’t realize, is 1 in 10 people in Toronto accessed a food bank last year” she says. “The need for food banks is higher than ever.”
Whether it’s through joining NYH’s Coldest Night of the Year fundraising event, bringing her colleagues in to volunteer or getting her children involved in food drives, Christine has spent her time on the Board raising awareness of food insecurity and encouraging everyone to act.
Now as Board Chair, Christine says she’s looking forward to helping to shape the future strategy of North York Harvest and help meet the food needs of our community today while working toward long-term solutions to end food insecurity in our city.
Summer should be a time of enjoying the beautiful weather and taking breaks from work and school to relax and recharge. For some, it’s full of possibilities — from summer camps and vacations, to picnics and BBQs.
Yet, for thousands of families and individuals in our city, there is no break from the daily stress and worry of food insecurity.
The situation is dire as the need for food support continues to surge far above pre-pandemic levels.
At North York Harvest, we’ve seen a 92% increase in client visits since 2019, with a 25% spike last year alone.
Toronto is facing a poverty crisis with increased inflation, low social-assistance rates and unaffordable housing.
Every day, people like Sandra are having to turn to a food bank because they can’t make ends meet.
Sandra’s Story
Sandra is passionate about her work with children with special needs but with rising costs, her income and benefits are not sufficient to ensure food security in our city.
“I started coming here a year ago and I am able to meet my needs with the help of North York Harvest. The staff are very kind and friendly, and give their time to meet their community.
After a long day of work, it makes your day to see a friendly face here at North York Harvest, so I always welcome it.
With the pandemic and high cost of living, you would not believe how many of my clients I’ve lost. It’s so hard to make ends meet and I’m trying hard to make it work. Sometimes when you struggle, you keep it quiet inside – but things can get better with help.
If you look, you can see this community faces problems everywhere. On the streets, on the TTC, and it really scared me. But then I thought: do I choose to live in fear? This is my life. Do I choose to accept what life is or be hopeful changes can happen?
The pandemic made it hard for a lot of people. I was not working and it was getting to my head. But I said, am I going to allow this to destroy me? No, I’m bigger than that.
I choose hope.”
Sandra, North York Harvest Client
Sandra’s story embodies the resilience and determination that drive our work. But we can’t do it alone.
Our partnership provides vital resources to our community members like Sandra, and enables them to focus on their lives beyond merely surviving.
But without legislation to address affordable housing, social assistance rates and stagnating wages, the need for our services continues to surge.
After paying rent and utilities, our clients have about $6.67 left per day for food and all other necessities, according to our 2023 Who’s Hungry report.
When we join together, we can go beyond short-term support, and continue advocating for much-needed policy changes that will create a more just society, where no one has to rely on a food bank.
These are the real systemic changes we can achieve with and for our community.
Please give generously today, so we can continue providing essential food support to our neighbours, while helping to build an equitable community where everyone can thrive.
Every gift, no matter the amount, makes a difference. Thank you!
*This is a true story from a client. The images have been changed to protect their privacy.
In partnership, Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest Food Bank have released the 2023 Who’s Hungry Report, a profile of food insecurity in the City of Toronto.
The report reveals a grim reality: 1 in 10 people in Toronto are now relying on food banks to make ends meet. Last year that number was 1 in 20.
During the reporting period, there were 2.53 million visits to food banks in Toronto – a 51% increase over last year and the highest annual increase ever recorded.
Food insecurity is at crisis levels in Toronto. More households are being pushed into poverty due to four key factors.
Soaring housing costs
After paying rent and utilities, food bank clients have a median of $6.67 left per person, per day for food and all other necessities. This is a significant drop from $8.01 last year
Food inflation
Nearly 1 in 3 (31%) food bank clients went a whole day without eating and more than half (55%) of food bank clients missed a meal to pay for something else
Stagnating wages
Despite inflation rising by 11% since 2021, the median hourly wage ($16) and median weekly hours worked among food bank clients have remained the same during this period
Insufficient social assistance rates
Of the 35% of food bank clients who have a disability, 61% rely on social assistance for income, which leaves them at least $1,000 below the poverty line each month
There was a 154% increase in the number of individuals who accessed food bank services for the first time last year. Food banks are at their breaking point.
“The report’s findings, while heartbreaking, are not a surprise. Food banks are being counted on to address the immediate needs and our sector simply cannot solve this crisis on its own,” says Ryan Noble, Executive Director, North York Harvest Food Bank.
“To truly eradicate hunger, it takes more than food banks raising food and funds. There is an urgent need for collaboration and real action among the government, the private sector and food banks.”
To affect real change urgently needed in the sector, we are calling for the following:
The Government of Canada to rapidly design and implement an adequate and accessible Canada Disability Benefit so that eligible recipients begin receiving the benefit by 2025.
The Government of Ontario to commit to a minimum of 300,000 units of permanently affordable and supportive homes in Ontario over the next 10 years, with a minimum of 50,000 in Toronto.
The City of Toronto to ensure Toronto’s forthcoming Poverty Reduction Strategy Action Plan provides concrete actions, with funding attached, to prevent food insecurity and promote resiliency among Toronto’s community food programs.
North York Harvest Food Bank’s vision is a community where all members are able to meet their food needs, and we will continue to strive for that through dignified food assistance, education, advocacy, and long-term food solutions.
To read the full report and detailed recommendations, click here.
Look to the person on your left, now look to the person on your right. Chances are that 1 of the 3 of you are living with diabetes or prediabetes. And, alarmingly, you may be one of the 1.5 million people in Canada who have no idea that they have this disease.
Diabetes is a pressing concern for our members. People living in poverty have a much higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes and treating diabetes is especially difficult for people who use food banks because of the lack of fresh, healthy food available. So we’re working to take action on this critical health issue facing our community.
Over the past year North York Harvest & Flemingdon Health Centre have teamed up to provide Diabetes Education Programs for residents in the Don Mills area. Our goal is to provide these programs quarterly for those living with or caring for those with diabetes.
We had a chance to speak with Elena Sobolev, Certified Diabetes Educator & Registered Dietitian regarding these life saving programs.
How did you determine the need for these programs through the food bank?
We have looked at a few areas where clients accessing food banks can benefit from our program. This includes food insecurity, which can be one important risk factor for those living with diabetes or even those who are at high risk; newcomers who need to prioritize settling in and putting food on the table, instead of paying attention to their health, etc.
How many people have participated in the program?
15 participants attended our June session, and 12 participants attended our September session
What is the link between diabetes and poverty?
We know that poverty is a strong risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. The chronic stress of low income living can increase the levels of cortisol (a stress-hormone), which can result in elevated blood sugar levels. Also, individuals who live in poverty often struggle with access to healthy foods and physical activity programs, which in turn can increase the risk for type 2 diabetes.
What kind of barriers does one in poverty face when dealing with diabetes?
There is a number of barriers faced by individuals who live in poverty. These include lack of access to healthy foods, physical activity programs, as well as high cost of diabetes medications and medical equipment (ex: blood sugar test strips).
What are the effects of untreated diabetes in one that does not have proper access to care or healthy food?
Unfortunately, the consequences of poorly controlled diabetes are quite severe. People can develop problems with their kidneys, eyes, nerves (which can results in amputations), and heart disease (heart attack or stroke).
More and more people of all ages are living with diabetes and being educated is so important. November is Diabetes Awareness month and a great opportunity to learn more about how to take care of yourself and those who love. Please visit https://www.diabetes.ca/ to learn more.
The pandemic made it hard for a lot of people. I was not working and it was getting to my head. But I said, am I going to allow this to destroy me? No, I’m bigger than that.
We had a chance to speak with Elena Sobolev, Certified Diabetes Educator & Registered Dietitian regarding these life saving programs.