Tag Archive: leadership in logistics

  1. 2017 Round Up

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    Because of supporters like you, we spent 2017 working with our community to help our most vulnerable neighbours meet their food needs, and find long-term solutions to poverty and food insecurity.

    Here are some of our favourite moments.

    Gardens Galore!

    We had our first ever garden since moving to Pengarth Crt in Lawrence Heights, and were able to run multiple harvest festivals throughout the city.

    A joint garden-kitchen program with youth in partnership with PACT at the Lawrence Heights site, teaching kids about the importance of fresh food and healthy eating.

    We supported the first ever farmers market at the Bathurst Finch hub, and now there is a weekly good food market on site every Wednesday.

    Ensuring consistent service throughout our network of partner agencies

    All of our food banks and member agencies are different, but it’s important that no matter where people live in North York that they receive the same standard of service.

    This year we also took on a major network wide evaluation of our 19 catchment food banks, based on our Standard of Service. Clients at each site were surveyed and the programs were assigned a score out of 5 on areas such as accessibility, quality and quantity of food, customer service etc. We hope to repeat this assessment on an annual basis.

    Our AMAZING donors

    As always, our donors blow us away with incredible generosity and support of their community!  Young Zack is no different, in just the first grade he’s making a difference for his neighbours.  This past holiday season he popped by with cans of tuna that he purchased with his gift money.

    Stronger Together: Increasing Services and Impact

    We worked with many community agencies to bring enhanced programming and services to our members, including:

    • Toronto Public Health dental bus at Oriole Food Space.  This bus offered free dental care to those who otherwise would go without this necessity!
    • Smoking cessation workshops
    • Hearing tests for clients
    • Diabetes prevention and management programs
    • We launched the Community Food Works program in partnership with Toronto Public Health’s food strategy at Oriole; a program that teaches food handlers training and food skills to low income individuals. Our pilot at OFS was targeted to Arabic speaking newcomers.
    • A resident based advocacy and food security program
    • Several community kitchen programs

    Healthy Food Matters! Focusing our Food Drive on Priority Items

    This year we worked more intentionally with our fabulous food drive organizers to improve the quality of food we offer to our members. We asked them to hold single food item drives choosing from a list of 5 priority items: Rice, Oil, Canned Beans, Canned Seafood and Canned Tomatoes. These staples are versatile, nutrient-dense foods our network needs to maintain good health. Thanks to our incredible community who helped us answer the call for healthy food!

    Leadership in Logistics

    With the support from the Metcalf Foundation and The Learning Enrichment Foundation we have launched an exciting new program for individuals currently receiving Ontario Works. Aside from being a stepping stone in breaking the cycle of poverty, the program gives participants a chance to take charge of their own lives with the confidence and training to succeed in promising careers.

  2. Leadership in Logistics

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    Leadership in Logistics Program

     

    Here at North York Harvest, on top of distributing food to more than 25,000 people each month, we are dedicated to long term solutions to poverty and creating sustainable livelihoods.

    That's why with the support from the Metcalf Foundation and The Learning Enrichment Foundation we have launched an exciting new program for individuals currently receiving Ontario Works. Aside from being a stepping stone in breaking the cycle of poverty, the program gives participants a chance to take charge of their own lives with the confidence and training to succeed in promising careers.

    Together we are able to provide skills development and experience-based learning right here in the NYH warehouse! Students like Tammy are able to gain valuable technical skills and certifications in our operating environment - after all, we are the food distribution hub for more than 77 food programs in the city.

     

    "Being a busy mom, I felt the program benefited me by giving me hands on work experience and training that was essential in coming back into the workforce." - Tammy.

     

    This program is designed to propel graduates into careers in the warehousing and logistics sector. In fact, after Tammy graduated she became an instructor in the program paying it forward!

       

    Recently we have just had the honour of graduating another 10 students of the program.  This latest group of students is already off to having successful careers in the field with half of them already gaining employment while the others have exciting job interviews lined up!

     

    "I learned that if I stick with anything I can finish it! Everyone here is so supportive!" says Mark, one of the recent graduates.

       

    Saheed, another graduate also received some local fame, appearing in an article for the Toronto Star talking about how the program has given him a new opportunity in life.

    The Leadership in Logistics program is one of the many ways that North York Harvest is working to make a difference in the lives of our community members!

       

    We're currently looking for mentors and employers to get involved in helping those seeking meaningful employment through this incredible program!

    Are you currently receiving Ontario Works and would like to join other Leadership in Logistics students in learning high demand skills and certifications? Contact us to Sign up here!

    For more information, please contact Avril Gray-White at 416.635.7771 x48 or avril@northyorkharvest.com

    Would you like to donate and help this program flourish? Click here!

     

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