Tag Archive: food insecurity

  1. 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!

  2. Agency Spotlight: Meet Society for the Living!

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    Meet Society for the Living!

    Since she was a little girl, Joyce has been working alongside her mother and three siblings at Society for the Living, a food bank and partner agency of North York Harvest Food Bank.

    “I don’t know how many people get to work alongside their family and give back to their community. It’s something that’s really special because at the same time we’re doing this work, we get to connect as a family and connect with our community,” Joyce says. 

    Joyce works with her mother, known in the community as sister Vee, and siblings Aisha, Sedem, and Immanuel.

    Since 1998 Society for the Living has been serving the North York community, with an emphasis on providing culturally meaningful food and a welcoming space for clients to connect with one another.

    For 25 years Society called 274 Eddystone Ave. home. But during the pandemic, their rent was raised by 200% and they had to find a new space — at a time when the need in the community was increasing rapidly.

    Today, Society operates out of shipping containers at two different sites:  Jane and Shepherd, and Oakdale, serving 900 client visits each month.

    “It was really sad for us to lose that space and we hope to one day be able to have a space to call our own with our community to connect and shareA father and daughter stand outside at a farm holding fresh vegetables. food,” Joyce says.

    For now they are continuing to build community however they can, including through a farm project where they grow and harvest fresh food to serve at their programs. Clients have a say in the kinds of produce that is grown and some clients also volunteer to help on the farm.

    “It’s very grounding being outside in fresh air with each other and planting, growing, and harvesting food together. It’s really beautiful to see that,” Joyce says.

    The next generation in the family are already helping out at the food bank, whether by cleaning up, setting up or packing boxes.

    “Like me, they’re learning at a very young age that there’s a need in the community and each of us has the opportunity to give back,” Joyce says.

    Learn more about Society for the Living at https://www.societyforthelivingfoodbank.com/

  3. ISV rallies community to give back

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    Islamic Society of Vaughan joins North York Harvest for day of community giving

    A group of volunteers wearing yellow Islamic Society of Vaughan t-shirts pick up cans and place them in boxes.

    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.

    Check out the video below for a recap of the day!

  4. Annual food drive inspires community pride!

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    How a food drive became a source of community pride

    A mother, father and daughter kneel on the grass packing food donations into a bag

    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.

    Start your own food drive!

    OR

    Start a virtual food drive!

  5. How Our Community Came Together During Disaster

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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.

  6. Climbing a mountain to fight food insecurity

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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!

    A woman wearing sunglasses and a hat cheers as she ascends the Sun Valley mountain in Idaho.

    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.

    A woman hikes up a grassy mountain among trees and sunshine.

  7. I Choose Hope

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    Help Get Healthy Food to Neighbours like Sandra!

    Did you know that after paying rent and utilities, our clients have about $6.67 left per day for food and all other necessities?

    Click here to read Sandra’s Story of resilience and hope.

    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.It's so hard to make ends meet and I'm trying hard to make it work. Says Sandra

    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?

    picture of smiling woman with quote "I choose hope" next to herThe 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. 

    Will you be there for people like Sandra?

    The pandemic forced so many in our city into deep food insecurity, including Sandra.

    The urgency of our work has never been more pronounced, and your support has never been more critical

    Your gift today will help provide emergency food access for so many while empowering us to continue fighting the root causes of poverty.

    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!

     

    Collage of North York Harvest staff posing at various food spaces, as as "Together we can build a community where everyone can thrive. Donate Today" is placed beside next to them

     

    *This is a true story from a client. The images have been changed to protect their privacy.

  8. Who’s Hungry Report 2023

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    Who’s Hungry Report 2023

    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.

     

    ACCESS THE REPORT GET THE SNAPSHOT 

     

    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.

    Who's Hungry Report 2023