Tag Archive: food insecurity

  1. Transforming food support into community power

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    Transforming Food Support Into Community Power

    For 40 years, North York Harvest Food Bank has been a lifeline in the community— connecting people with dignified food assistance and critical resources they need to survive.

    But now our lease is up and cannot be renewed; we have to move in 2026.

    With 30,000 clients relying on us for emergency food support every month, we have to act quickly or risk disrupting essential operations.

    That’s why we’re launching Crisis to Catalyst: A bold $6-million capital campaign to build a new 30,000+ sq. ft. Community Food Hub.

    This urgent situation has brought our organization to a transformational turning point: We’re shifting from crisis response to long-term solutions that will empower our community for generations.

    Our new home will reimagine what a food bank can be – not just a safety net, but a launchpad for innovation. We will power local employment, support shelters, strengthen hundreds of partner agencies, and help thousands of families move from crisis to stability.

    This Hub will:

    • Strengthen warehousing and logistics for hundreds of community agencies
    •     Support student nutrition programs in schools, libraries, and beyond
    •     Triple our food storage capacity to meet rising demand
    •     Expand cold storage tenfold to deliver more fresh, nutritious food
    •     Scale up our Leadership in Logistics workforce development program
    •     Deliver food to shelters through our partnership with the City of Toronto
    •     Enable national food initiatives in partnership with Food Banks Canada
    •     Reduce the environmental impact of food waste
    •     Develop more innovative initiatives that deliver sustainable, long-term reductions in poverty
    •     Create shared space for community organizations to work, innovate, and grow — together
    •     Advance food security across Ontario by supplying affordable food to hundreds of nonprofit organizations through our social enterprise, FoodReach.

    But we can’t do it without you.

    The City of Toronto has recognized food insecurity as an emergency, with 1 in 10 residents now relying on food banks to survive.

    This is our moment — and yours — to turn crisis into catalyst.

    When you support this campaign, you’re investing in more than food; you’re investing in people, potential, and possibility. You’re sparking lasting change — felt in every meal served, every job created, every child nourished, and every barrier broken.

    Join the movement today.

    Nine people stand behind a booth at an outdoor market holding fruits and vegetables. Some are wearing North York Harvest Food Bank aprons.

  2. 8 GREAT reasons to run a summer food drive!

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    8 Great Reasons to Start a Summer Food Drive

    Food drives are essential in helping 30,000 clients across our network meet their food needs every month. They’re especially important during the summer, when our shelves begin to empty but the need in our community remains just as high.

    Here are 8 great reasons why YOU should start your very own food drive this summer!

    1. Donations are much lower in the summertime

    An empty donation box for North York Harvest Food Bank sits outside.
    As the warm weather hits, people are focused on planning vacations and enjoying the great outdoors. 

    At the food bank however, that means empty shelves. Summer hasn’t even started yet, but we’re already running critically low on many non-perishable essentials including pasta and canned fish.

    Unfortunately, there is no vacation from hunger. Summer is a critical time for community support, and community food drives play an integral role in ensuring there’s enough food for our clients.

    2. A child’s happy summer starts with good nutrition

    Three children play on a tire swing in a sandy playground setting.

    Children need their energy for all the play and activities that come with summer. But without school snack programs, many families struggle to provide their children with enough nutritious food to fuel their day.

    At North York Harvest, 1 in 4 people we support is a child. By hosting a food drive, you’ll be easing a family’s stress so they can have a great summer, too.

    3. Connect with your community & each other

    Seven people stand around a large container of donated food at a food bank warehouse, smiling and linking arms.

    A food drive unites people under a common goal: to make a difference in your community. It can be started at your work or school, your place of worship, in your neighbourhood, or even within your family.

    For inspiration, read how a food drive at the La Rose townhouse complex turned strangers into neighbours who have hosted community food drives for the past four years!

    4. You’re taking an active role in fighting food insecurity

    An older woman wearing a hat and winter jacket can be seen from behind as she waits for food to be served at a food bank.

    1 in 10 Torontonians turning to a food bank is a daunting number, and it can make someone feel powerless about the situation. By taking this step, you’re empowering yourself and others to take action and directly help people in your own community.

    5. You can inspire others to take action

    Five people pose for a photo around a large box of donated food items inside of a food bank warehouse.

    One food drive can spark more, especially when shared on social media or in your workplace. Be the reason someone you know says, “I can help, too.”

    6. Kids and teens can lead them too

    A teenaged girl stands in a delivery truck full of bags of food donations.

    Food drives teach youth about leadership, community values, and the power every person has to make a difference.

    For inspiration, check out this family food drive that has been supporting North York Harvest for 10 years!

    7. It’s easy to organize, and we’re here to help!

    In the foreground is a box of donated items, in the background a person can be seen passing more items for donation in a grocery bag to a food bank employee.

    Virtual food drive or in-person – raise food or funds it’s up to you!

    Our team will be with you every step of the way to coordinate your successful fundraiser.

    8. Reduce food waste

    Cans of fish sit on a shelf at a food bank.

    Unused but safe pantry items in your home or office can go directly to someone in need – instead of the trash.

    Get started today! To register your food or fund drive and to learn more about our most-needed items, visit here.

    Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, please contact husnia@northyorkharvest.com. 

  3. St. Philip Neri’s Table: 4 years of community care

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    Agency Spotlight: St. Philip Neri’s Table

    A mother and her two sons hold one another and smile in a food bank setting.

    In honour of Mother’s Day this month, we’re sharing how a mother and son’s volunteer work strengthens their bond at St. Philip Neri’s table, a partner agency of North York Harvest Food Bank.

    A man inspects oranges for distribution at a food bank, with shelves on non-perishables behind him.

    Every Saturday Yesmil and a dedicated team of 50 volunteers distribute essential food and other support to their community. Yesmil co-founded the food bank with the then-pastor of St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in 2021, after seeing the need in their community surge during the pandemic.

    It has since become a lifeline for many in the community.

    “My family’s support makes all the difference,” Yesmil says. “The volunteers, including my sons, who have accompanied me from the beginning, help make real connections with our clients. Together, we’ve created a welcoming space for all.”

    The team’s combined efforts provide emergency food to 230 households each week, serving a diverse community in the Jane and Wilson area, including many new moms, seniors, and others struggling to make ends meet.

    “It’s not just about food,” Yesmil adds. “We

    A woman sorts tomatoes for distribution at a food bank.

     also focus on essential items like diapers, adult diapers, and baby formula—things that often take up a large portion of someone’s income.”

    One client, who is also a volunteer, shared that “If it weren’t for the baby formula I receive here, I wouldn’t have been able to raise my grandchild.”

    On Saturday, May 17, St. Philip Neri’s commemorated their four-year anniversary by serving their community soup and bread before distributing food.

    A woman wearing a brown St. Philip Neri's Table apron places a bowl on the counter in a kitchen, ready to be filled with homemade soup. In the background, volunteers load soup onto trays and stir a pot.

    “This mission would not be possible without the collective effort of the volunteers and the entire community,” Yesmil says, “ and working as a family for the community brings immeasurable value.”

  4. How your support changed a mother’s life

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    Your support changed a mother’s life

    Josephine was 20, pregnant, and terrified the first time she came to North York Harvest Food Bank.

    She was living in a shelter after fleeing an abusive relationship, unsure how she would provide food and shelter for her baby.

    Josephine was navigating motherhood by herself, but thanks to your support – she wasn’t alone.

    At North York Harvest, not only did she receive nutritious food to keep her and her baby healthy, she found support with resources like housing, furniture, clothing, and prenatal care.

    When she no longer had to focus all her energy on surviving, Josephine was empowered to return to school and start her own construction business. 

    Hear from Josephine how the care of her community helped her get back on her feet and provide food security to her family.

    A donation of any amount provides critical support to community members just like Josephine. You can change a life today by making a special gift 

  5. Welcome to Weston Area Emergency Support

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    Agency Spotlight: Welcome to WAES

    Three women stand around a counter full of potatoes, sorting them for distribution at a food bank.

    North York Harvest Food Bank is the primary food bank of Northern Toronto, but we’re more than just one organization.

    We work with a network of nearly 40 partner agencies, united by a shared mission to help our communities meet their food needs. Together we serve 30,000 community members every month, ensuring families and individuals including children, seniors, and persons with disabilities have access to dignified food support.

    One partner agency, The Weston Area Emergency Support (WAES), started the same way. Several local churches came together to create a food bank in 1986 to meet a rising need in the Weston area.

    Since then, the need in Weston has only increased, and today WAES serves 3,500 client visits every month.

    They operate with a passionate team of 50 regular volunteers, 50 casual volunteers, and one food space manager.

    About WAESA woman with glasses rests her hand on a stack of non-perishable canned beans in a food bank setting.

    • Two program days serving food to their community each week
    • Nearly 1 in 3 client visits are children
    • Seniors represent 16% of all visits
    • 3 in 4 clients identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and Person of Colour)

    Diana Stapleton has been a volunteer at WAES for over 30 years. Before retiring, she worked in research and advocacy at Food Banks Canada. She says WAES strives to be a low-barrier food bank with an emphasis on providing fresh food to clients, including eggs, produce, and halal protein.

    In addition to support received from North York Harvest and Second Harvest, WAES relies on the generosity of their community to keep shelves and fridges stocked.

    “York South-Weston has always been known as one of the lowest-income ridings in Ontario,” Diana says. “We’ve got a really interesting and vibrant community, but also a lot of the issues that go along with people struggling with low income.”

    “One question I get asked a lot is: ‘Well how do you know they really need it?’ People have to spend so much time proving they’re poor enough to receive so many other supports that we are committed to being a low-barrier food bank,” Diana says.

    WAES has seen a 20% increase in client visits over last year, and it’s coming to a breaking point – to the extent they may need to cut off new client visits.

    “It’s the last thing we want to do, but with the space we have we can’t bring in enough food to give out,” she says.

    “Everyone is saying the same thing: This is the worst situation for food insecurity we’ve ever had. Everybody knows it, and still nobody is doing anything – if we as a nation are going to help people, we have to do it properly.”

    Learn more about WAES

  6. Community BBQ to Get Out the Vote this federal election!

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    Removing barriers at the ballot box

    As the need for food banks is reaching record highs, voter turnout in our community is reaching record lows.

    There are many barriers stopping people from making it to the ballot box.

    After paying rent and utilities, on average our community members only have about $7 per day to spend on food, transportation, medication and all other expenses. It’s not easy getting to the polls when getting there eats into your food budget. 

    The No. 1 reason people walk through our doors is the high cost of rent, and far too many don’t even have a permanent place to call home. It’s not easy exercising your right to vote when you don’t have a permanent address. 

    That’s why North York Harvest Food Bank held a Community BBQ to Get Out the Vote on Sunday, April 13.

    We had free food, games, raffles, face-painting, advocacy, and free transportation taking attendees to the polls to cast their vote.

    Over 600 people attended the BBQ throughout the day, with 75 folks heading to the polls. Many community members who voted said if it weren’t for this initiative, they wouldn’t have been able to vote.

    Watch a short highlight reel from our BBQ below!

    That week, our Community Engagement team also visited each of our four food spaces to shuttle over 100 clients to vote and ensure no one was turned away from exercising their right to vote. For some, it was their very first time voting.

    “This whole initiative, whether it was the BBQ or the shuttles from our food banks to the polling station was really just about making sure the people most impacted by the affordability crisis are having their voices heard in this election,” says North York Harvest’s Senior Advocacy Specialist Chiara Padovani.

    By removing barriers in the voting process, nearly 200 community members cast their ballot this federal election!

    Four people wearing red North York Harvest attire smile together at an advocacy tent at a community BBQ.

  7. Read our latest Impact Statement!

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    Building stronger communities, together

    Five people in red North York Harvest Food Bank aprons have their arms around each others' shoulders, smiling in a food bank setting.

    In this Impact Report, you’ll learn not only who you are helping today, but how we are working alongside our community to fight for long-term solutions to food insecurity.

    Emergency Food Support

    Between September 2024 – February 2025 we distributed 1.4 million lbs. of food across our network, ensuring each of the 30,000 clients we support every month received nutritious food.

    October was our busiest month, reaching 31,224 client visits.

    Our caring neighbours rallied together to hold 124 food drives to supply essential non-perishable foods like pasta, cooking oil, and canned meat and vegetables! 

    We also worked with 33 partner organizations including bakeries and manufacturers to procure additional food such as fresh produce.

    Advocacy Actions!

    With 1 in 10 Torontonians turning to a food bank, we know more food won’t solve food insecurity. That’s why our Community Engagement team was busy advocating for policy changes and mobilizing our network for real change. 

    Some highlights include:

    (September) We held our Final Community Advocacy Open House, where clients were invited to discuss the issues that are making it the mostTwo people post sticky notes ranking issues including housing and employment on to a paper. challenging for them to meet their food needs, and how we can work together to make our voices heard and demand solutions.  

    (October) Our Community Connector Daffodil spoke at Queen’s Park ahead of the Raise the Rates Rally, calling for an end to legislated poverty by doubling social assistance rates. 

    (November) Community Engagement delivered over 300 postcards from FeedOntario’s postcard campaign from clients who wrote to their MPPs about the affordability crisis and how it is impacting their ability to meet their basic needs. 

    (November) Executive Director Ryan Noble speaks with CBC, says crisis is being ignored by those in power

    (December) North York Harvest’s Senior Specialist of Advocacy, Chiara Padovani, joins a Feed Ontario panel to bust myths about food banks and the people who use them. 

    (December) North York Harvest clients joined together for a Community Art Build where they made signs, buttons and posters to use at upcoming rallies. 

    (January) North York Harvest deputes at the Toronto City Budget Committee, calling for increased funding for drop-in meal programs that serve life-saving meals all across our city. 

    (February) Ryan joins Mayor Olivia Chow to call for an expanded student nutrition program to fight child hunger. A man speaks into a microphone at a press conference for funding the expansion of the student nutrition program. In the background, fellow speakers smile.

    (February) Our Community Engagement team rented a bus to help mobilize 60+ clients to attend the City Budget Rally. Afterwards, we headed inside City Hall to hand-deliver our petitions calling for City Council to support a TTC Fare Freeze, more support for renters, an expansion of the student nutrition program, and increased funding for drop-in meal programs. Together we won all those things! 

    (February) Ahead of the provincial election, we set up Election info tables at our food spaces to share information with our community members on how, where and when to vote, and to provide non-partisan information on where the four main parties stood on some of the issues that impact our community members most.

    None of this would have been possible without your support; thank you for being there for our community.  View the Impact Statement

  8. Our community mobilized for change – and won!

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    In December, the City of Toronto declared food insecurity an emergency.

    In the following two months, North York Harvest Food Bank collected hundreds of petition signatures, sent dozens of letters and gave deputations to urge every city councillor to pass a city budget that puts people first.

    For years North York Harvest has been making policy recommendations to government, but this year we mobilized our community like never before to take these issues to the doorstep of our decisionmakers and put them on notice.

    On the day of the official City budget deliberation, we brought a delegation of 60+ people from our community food banks and joined with other community members and organizations at the City Budget Rally outside City Hall.

    (In December our Community Action Group got together for an Art Build event, where North York Harvest clients made signs and posters. The event was a platform for our community to connect with one another on issues that are impacting them every day and use their voice for real change.)

    After the rally, we went into City Hall to deliver petitions to our elected officials, calling for them to support the following in the budget:

    A TTC fare freeze
    The TTC fare freeze means people won’t have to choose between transportation and their next meal.With food bank users having as little as $7.78 left per day after rent and utilities, even a small fare increase can make a big difference.

    More funding for renter supports
    Additional funding for RentSafeTO, the Toronto Rent Bank and the Tenant Support Program will help prevent evictions and protect affordable housing in Toronto.

    An expansion of the Student Nutrition Program
    With 1 in 4 food bank users being a child, access to nutritional food at school is life-changing.

    More funding for drop-in meal programs
    Drop-ins are providing life-saving meals to Toronto’s most vulnerable populations, and adding $530,000 to the Creating Health Plus budget would ensure these vital programs would at least be able to operate with the same level of funding as last year. 

    And together … we won!

    Dozens of people holding protest signs stand together during a rally outside City Hall

    Thanks to the advocacy of our community, the meaningful action of Mayor Olivia Chow and many city councillors, and the support of our donors who make this work possible, more children will have meals, more renters will have support, drop-in meal programs will continue to be able to serve vulnerable communities, and budgets won’t get squeezed even further by transit costs.

    Together we make change happen!