Tag Archive: groceries

1. The Gift of Kindness

   December 18, 2015 6:27 am Comments Off on The Gift of Kindness

   At this time of year, it feels like more people are showing that extra bit of kindness towards others!  Here at North York Harvest, I see it every day but more so during the winter months.  There is just so much joy and holiday cheer that people have and they want to share it with those around them.

   Don’t you notice the extra bit of kindness at this time of year?  It’s even the smaller things like holding a door for someone or paying that extra 5 cents they need for their morning coffee.  It can make someone’s day just so much brighter.

   

   Kindness is powerful. It can completely transform your day and that of people around you.

   Did you know the many advantages of kindness?

   Kindness can relieve stress.  Doing something nice for another person makes you feel good.

   “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” ~Dalai Lama

   Kindness is contagious.  Remember that big news story a couple of years ago when people were “Paying it Forward” at the coffee shop?  A person would buy the coffee for the next person in line and that pattern continued for the entire day!  A person can’t help but return the favour when a kindness is bestowed upon them!

   

   “A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” ~Amelia Earhart

   Kindness strengthens relationships. When you perform an act of kindness for another there is just a new unspoken bond between the two of you.  When it is a larger act of kindness among many people – such as sponsoring a refugee in need, a group volunteer activity or running a food drive at work – it brings a sense of community between you, your friends, your coworkers and those that benefit from your kindness.

   “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ~Leo Buscaglia

   Kindness can make a difference in someone’s life.  You might not know it, but letting another person go ahead of you in line could be the highlight of his or her day, week or even month.  You never know what someone else could be going through.

   

   “Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.”  ~Maya Angelou

   There are just so many random ways that you can show a little extra kindness this holiday season.

   Here are a few ideas:

   • Visiting a retirement home to spend time with someone who is lonely
   • Purchasing a coffee for a stranger
   • Putting some of your extra change in an expired parking meter
   • Shoveling your neighbour’s driveway
   • Send a thank you letter to your local fire and police departments
   • Compliment someone
   • Take a friend to a movie

   Another easy way to share kindness  is to contribute to our make a donation for people in your city that really need it!  Every month over 16,000 children, parents, seniors and people on their own will come into our programs because they don’t have enough food to eat.

   You can make a difference!

    

    

2. Seniors Bonding Through Food

   December 11, 2015 3:19 pm Comments Off on Seniors Bonding Through Food

   I remember when I was a kid, we would always take the long journey (at least it seemed at the time) to
   my Grandparents’ house to spend the holidays.  My grandmother would always cook a large family dinner for all of us including my aunts, uncles and cousins.  There was always a scent of fresh baked bread throughout the house; I can still remember it to this day.

   As the Holiday Season quickly approaches, you’re probably thinking about what kind of delicious food to make and share with your friends and family.  Perhaps your grandparents passed down some holiday traditions and recipes that you can’t wait to use.

   Thinking about my grandparents and family around the holidays makes me think of the seniors that are alone at this time of year.   My heart goes out to the thousands of senior citizens that access a food bank every month; just this year alone there has been a 35% increase in usage of food banks among seniors*.

   One of our largest Community Food Spaces, Bathurst-Finch, reflects the rise of seniors using food programs.  Many seniors living in the Bathurst-Finch area do not have a family or friends to spend time with; many have emigrated from other countries.  Sometimes they feel as though they have no one and nowhere to go.

   Because of the support of community members like you, we are able to help these seniors by providing healthy meals and a sense of community.  Bathurst-Finch runs a community kitchen program that is a great way for them to get together for companionship and bonding over the joy of food. The seniors reach out to one another to make sure that they are not alone and isolated, especially around the holidays.  A wonderful program that shows kindness and inclusion to those that need it most.

   As part of the Community Kitchen program, many of the seniors would share with each other recipes from their home country that they taught their children as they grew up.  The community even recently put out a cookbook of most loved recipes!

   The main goal of the Hot Pot Cookbook Project was to support socialization of seniors as well as learning from each other culturally.  The name was inspired by a traditional way of cooking in Asia that gathers community members around a simmering “Hot Pot” to cook together.  The cookbook really showcases the amazing people, culture and food found in the neighbourhood.

   Support the Bathurst Finch Community

   In the holiday spirit of sharing recipes through generations, I wanted to share with you some amazing dessert recipes from the Hot Pot Cookbook to enjoy with your loved ones for the holidays.

   1. Black Bean Brownies
   2. Apple Pie “Marianna”
   3. Chickpea Blondies

   Make sure you let me know how your baking turns out!

   

    

   
   
   
   
   

3. Isha’s Story

   November 27, 2015 5:40 am Comments Off on Isha’s Story

   This is Isha’s story.  But it is a story familiar to so many people in northern Toronto.

   Isha lives with her 2 siblings, mom and grandma in public housing in northern Toronto.  Her mom works several jobs and her grandma is elderly and struggles with failing health.  Isha often has to take care of the meals for her family.

   “Mom works a lot so I help by cooking and getting food for school ready but by the end of the week the fridge is usually empty.”

   Often skipping lunch so her two younger siblings have enough to eat she is grateful for the afterschool program that she can attend.  “They get some good food for us and on Wednesdays we cook a whole meal together and I can take leftovers home. Usually it’s only a day or 2 until mom can buy more groceries. But when it’s longer, we can go to the program and get some extra food to help us get through. I’m not sure what my family and I would do without this help,” she shares. “It’s not just the food, its knowing there is someone in our community we can trust, someone who will be there for us.”

   This is the impact that you have.  When you donate to North York Harvest Food Bank, we make sure there is enough food for the people who need it most.

   Help people just like Isha by making a gift today!

   ^{**Isha’s name has been changed by her request}

4. Join the Fall Food Drive!

   October 9, 2015 12:54 pm Comments Off on Join the Fall Food Drive!

   It’s Thanksgiving weekend!  I hope you are all looking forward to enjoying time and a nice meal with all of your families.

   As I think about the abundance of delicious food that will be set at my table, I also am confronted with a troubling thought.  Many families in our very own community will not have the luxury to sit down to a large dinner with their loved ones.  Many won’t even have enough food to fill their bellies.

   It’s a tough thing to think about.  Thanksgiving is the time of year when we celebrate and are thankful for what we have and the food at our table. But it’s hard for someone to be thankful when they don’t have enough food to eat.

   That is where YOU come in!  Because of the incredible support from caring people like you, many of our neighbours are able to access nutritious food to feed their families.

   As the weather gets colder and we get ready for Thanksgiving, the NYH Annual Fall Food Drive to raise $100,000 and 100,000 pounds of food to provide 300,000 meals for our neighbours in need is in full swing.  Your support will make an amazing difference in the lives of so many families in Toronto.  Just $1 can provide 3 meals. Your small act of kindness today will make a lot of parents and children nourished and happy.  Will you consider helping us reach this goal?

   What can you do?

   Get involved and run a Food & Fund Drive!  It’s so easy to sign up and put together a food drive with your family, coworkers, school, clubs or friends!  Check out this really fun list of ideas to get started.

   If you don’t have time to set up a food & fund drive yourself, donate online or make a food donation at local grocery stores and fire halls.  For a list of where you can donate groceries, please click here.

   Not sure what kind of items to donate?  Here’s a handy list of food items that are in high demand, especially around this time of year.

   The top 5 needed items are:

   • Baby Food
   • Canned fish
   • Canned chickpeas and other beans
   • Cooking oil (personal sized bottles)
   • Soup

   Click here to see what other items are needed most.

   If you are digging through your pantry to find items to donate, be sure that they are not expired.  Items that are past the best before date are accepted.  For more information on expiry and best before dates, check out our blog post.

   You can make a difference in the lives of 13,000 parents, children and grandparents that rely on food banks every month.  It is because of generous people like you that we can make hunger in Canada a thing of the past.

   Let’s make this Thanksgiving a holiday that everyone can be thankful for.