Tag Archive: north york harvest

1. You Make It Happen!

   December 6, 2016 6:14 am Comments Off on You Make It Happen!

   This post is all about YOU and how absolutely GRATEFUL we are to have you in the North York Harvest family!

   YOU make it possible to provide food for your neighbours that would otherwise go hungry.

   YOU come out to volunteer, donate funds, show support and be a part of our community.

   Each month your generosity touches more than 15,000 people in Toronto. Thank you!

   Without YOU we wouldn’t have been able to help your neighbours access food this year.

   This year we shared with you stories from many people.  People who were directly impacted because of you.  And those stories are just the tip of the iceberg!

   

   From Jenna, who started grade four this year and loves science and gym class.  And her mom Trish, who had her hours cut at work.  Trish wasn’t sure how to pay the bills.  YOU ensured that Jenna didn’t go to school hungry!

    

   Your support helped Katherine, a dietician at a prenatal drop in program.  With your help, she was able to teach women about healthy eating on a budget.  YOU ensured that they would be able to feed themselves while they were pregnant and continue to provide nutritious meals as their children grow.

   More than 800 York University students use the campus food bank every week.  YOU made sure that they were able to access the food they needed to help them concentrate on their studies instead of hunger.

   

   Marlene, a volunteer at a local food bank was able to give her neighbours more than just food when they came in hungry.  She was able to connect them with free services throughout the city to help them with parenting classes, recreational activities, resume building and more.

   Over 300 Syrians fleeing war and violence came to the Oriole Food Space after arriving in Canada.  There they have found more than food for their families, but the opportunity for a new life, work, friends and a chance.  A chance they wouldn’t have gotten without your support.

   

   And Jennifer who is only 17 years old.  She found herself pregnant and homeless…instead of her original plan to go off to college and start her career.  YOU made sure she was able to feed herself and her son during these tough times.

   

   These are only some of the people that you helped this year alone!  There are thousands more people that you directly impact through your generosity and support!

    

   We can’t do it without you and we couldn’t imagine trying!

    

   Thank you for all you do – it makes a world of difference – to us and the neighbours that you may never know.

   
   
   
   
   

2. Top Foods to Donate

   December 2, 2016 2:39 pm Comments Off on Top Foods to Donate

   Want to help your neighbours in need but not sure what food is best to donate?  Check out this handy infographic we put together to help!

   

   Get the PDF

    

    

    

    

3. Celebrate the Season

   November 9, 2016 3:24 am Comments Off on Celebrate the Season

   CBC is at it again! It’s almost time to celebrate the holidays and our community by coming together for CBC’s Sounds of the Season in support of local food banks.

   Every year the event gets better and better, raising food and money to help families in Toronto meet their food needs. Last year Sounds of the Season raised $695,000 & collected 21,000 lbs. of food! 

   Whether you participated last year or haven’t had the chance, we want YOU to be a part of this incredible holiday event! Sounds of the Season runs from November 1^st – December 31^st and this year you can join our school champion Beaumonde Heights JMS as they lead the charge for NYH.

   You see, for the very first time CBC and the Food Banks are launching the CBC School Food Drive. 5 schools in Toronto have been chosen – each representing a different food bank, to raise food and funds to provide meals for the holiday season.

   

   As we all know, many people rely on food banks each day to ensure their families don’t go hungry. About 1/3 of people that use food banks in our city are children – and some of those students attend Beaumonde Heights JMS.  I spoke with Tricia, a teacher at the school and she informed me that there are families in their school feeling the crunch of not being able to provide enough food.

   “These students understand what it is like to use a food bank – whether their own family uses the services or if their friends do.  They know how important it is to support others in their community”.

   Beaumonde Heights JMS has hosted food drives for North York Harvest for 14 years! And this year is no different.  All students get involved in the food drive, showing love for their school, neighbours and community.

   They are ready to go with unique fundraising initiatives such as school dances, a “soup kitchen” where students receive a warm meal at lunch and themed food days. Monday is Meat/Protein, Tuesday is Pasta Tuesday, Wednesday is Wah Wah Baby Wednesday, Thursday is Throwback-bring your childhood food favourites and Friday is Heart Smart Fridays!

   The students always have a fun way to join together to help others in need.  Each student is empowered to be an “Agent of Change”. They are encouraged that even though they are young, they can still take that one step to make a difference.

   As a celebration for their incredible work, each school in the School Food Drive will nominate students to join us on December 16 for a huge food sort challenge! CBC’s very own Dwight Drummond has been nominated team captain of Beaumonde Heights JMS. He will inspire the kids in the ways of helping others in their community.

   

   We are absolutely thrilled to partner with CBC, Beaumonde Heights JMS and other food banks in the city! Together we can work towards a hunger free holiday!

   Want to help Beaumonde Heights JMS raise money in support of the community? Click here to help them out!

   OR You can make a donation to support the event RIGHT NOW to be a part of this wonderful annual tradition! Be sure to designate your gift to North York Harvest Food Bank so you know the food will be distributed to your neighbourhood food bank. You can even join the main event on December 2^nd at CBC to hear some incredible music and watch your favourite CBC personalities live in action.

   Curious to learn more about CBC’s Sounds of the Season? Check out all of the festivities here!

   For updates on the exciting School Food Drive – be sure to follow us on Facebook & Twitter!

   
   
   
   
   

4. Sharing What We Have

   October 21, 2016 3:00 am Comments Off on Sharing What We Have

   

   Guest blog by Lynne

   “We take a lot of things for granted,” Lynne, long-time donor of the food bank shares. “Basic things like clothes, blankets and especially food.”  This is one of the reasons that drew Lynne to the food bank. This is her story.

   For the longest time we didn’t have a refrigerator.  I would take my toy buggy with me and walk with my mom to the grocery store every day.  Food was scarce but I don’t remember going super hungry. We lived by the waterfront and there were always men asking my grandparents if we had work for them.  “We share what we have,” was my grandma’s philosophy. She would always invite them in and even when there was no work, she would make them some lunch before they left. Kids were always coming to our house for lunch.  Food and community were a big part of our lives.  That was a long time ago. But even today food and community are still an important part of my life.

   I eventually went on to study home economics and early child education at university. Eventually I started working in the inner city supporting moms with prenatal care and nutrition. There are a lot of families that were financially compromised and we spent a lot of time focusing on the importance of healthy food – where to get it, how to make it economically and what they could use to make healthy meals without spending too much.  But it wasn’t only about food.  After all, community is a big part of the equation. After my first husband passed away I was a single mom trying to work, take care of my children and make ends meet.

   I often would share food with my neighbours who were also struggling, often because life was hard and lonely and sharing food brought us together and brought so much joy.

   It’s no surprise that the same focus on sharing what you have, food and community was passed from my grandparents through my family to my children.  When our kids were growing up, food and giving was a part of the family culture.  We tried to eat dinner together as much as we could and during the holidays we would come together to make Christmas hampers.  It was a family tradition. Even now, though my kids are older we still come together, four generations of family and they do it every year.

   I started to support the food bank because it simply made sense. There are so many families out there without enough food to eat.

   I may not be able to give to all of them directly but I can partner with an organization that is working to do that.  You don’t have to be wealthy, you just have to share what you have. I tell my kids that all the time.  Because none of us exist on our own.

   We are part of something bigger, bigger than just ourselves and giving is a part of that, a part of our lives.

    

   And that is exactly what North York Harvest Food Bank, with the generous support of Lynne and donors just like her are doing.  Like the philosophy that Lynne’s grandparents lived by whatever we have we share. Join Lynne and the other amazing NYH supporters to ensure that no family in Toronto goes hungry this fall.

   Donate a generous gift of $500 or more and join Lynne in the Harvest Circle – our leadership donors paving the way for a Toronto where no one goes hungry.

    Want to make another gift?  Every $1 donated provides 3 meals for someone that is hungry! Click here.

   
   
   
   
   

5. Changing Lives Through Food

   October 14, 2016 8:25 am Comments Off on Changing Lives Through Food

   Sometimes we don’t realize how much our actions make a difference to people we’ve never even met. But I want to take the time to share with you how your actions of supporting your local food bank have changed lives and come full circle.

   Mr. and Mrs. Perez moved here with their family over a year ago fleeing a very difficult situation back home.  When they arrived, they found themselves needing to go to the food bank to help them get back on their feet.  

   Not long ago I had a chat with them as they were spending time volunteering with us.  They told me that the reason they now volunteer in the food bank is because they want to pay it forward.

   “I want others to know that someone out there cares for them.  Coming from the situation in our past – it can be hard to understand that there are people who actually care.”

   When the Perez family came to Canada, they struggled to find jobs because they didn’t speak English – which in turn meant they struggled to put food on the table for their children.  “It wasn’t until we came to the food bank that we realized people really cared, from volunteers, to staff and donors – everyone wants to make sure that no one goes hungry.  In a country like Canada, no one should have to.” Mr. Perez told me.

   Unfortunately, the number of food bank users in our city keeps growing.  According to the latest Who’s Hungry report, there were over 900,000 visits to Toronto food banks last year. That is a 48% increase in the suburbs since 2008. 

   Mrs. Perez told me that on their first visit to the food bank she was surprised at the kind of options they had, “I was able to find ingredients to make recipes that I used to make for my family back home.  It really helped my children as a lot of this new Canadian food was strange to them”.  Personally when I see the kind of donations that come into the food bank, I am also surprised by the vast variety and selection that sometimes gets donated.  I think it is great that just because a person needs to use the food bank they still are able to have a choice as to what goes into their food hamper, just as they would if going to a grocery store. It’s also important that we have choice to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies.

   It’s great know that Perez family have adjusted to Canada and glad to be a part of our community. It can be really hard picking up and changing your life. There are many worries that one can have in a situation like that – whether or not you’ll be able to have a meal shouldn’t have to be one of them.

   These days Mr. Perez works at a full time job and speaks English very well.  His kids go off to school each day having had a healthy breakfast and he just wants the same for people that are now where he was. Each week the Perez family go to the food bank they used to use but now they do to stock shelves and help others pick out groceries to feed their own families.

   Mr. Perez loves giving back to his local food bank, “I am very grateful that I can give back to people that are just like I once was; worrying about whether their children are going to have something to eat that day or not. If not for the food bank, I might still be worrying.”

   More than 16,000 people will use a food bank in your community this month. Because of you they will be able to leave knowing that their kids (and themselves) will not have to go without a nutritious meal to help them get back on their feet.

   Please consider making a generous donation or volunteering to help our new neighbours get back on their feet.

    

   
   
   
   
   
   

6. The Meaning of Thanksgiving

   September 30, 2016 8:23 am Comments Off on The Meaning of Thanksgiving

   

   Guest Blog by Tina

   What does Thanksgiving mean to you?

   To me it means family, neighbours and community.

   I wasn’t always a member of your community.  My family came here over 20 years ago for a fresh start and I was met with open arms by wonderful families that I now consider to be my family.

   As new arrivals to Canada, we didn’t have the means to celebrate a Thanksgiving meal – but we were invited to share the holiday with a wonderful family that had us over to their home. And that really meant a lot.

   They told us that the true meaning of the holiday is being grateful sharing what we have – they even told us more about our new country and the incredible fresh start and adventure we are about to enjoy.  Thanks to their hospitality – I also had my first taste of pumpkin pie and it remains one of my favourite desserts up until this day!

   These days I volunteer at a local community center that supports newcomers just like I once was. People can go there for food, ESL classes, cooking lessons and job placement support. I get to witness firsthand how generosity from people just like you go a long way to helping people build a new life here in Canada.

   When I think about that special gift we received on our first Thanksgiving – this time of year really gets me in the mood to help people that are struggling to get back onto their feet.  People right in our community.

   This year I will be working with my community center, their staff, volunteers and even families who we’ve helped in the past and are now coming back to pay it forward, to ensure families who are struggling in the neighbourhood have a hot and festive meal on Thanksgiving and have enough food at home all month long.

   And I want to invite you to join me and do the same.

   Let’s Leave Hunger Behind and make this a Thanksgiving to remember. So that 20 years from now, when new families share their stories, they, like I do, will remember with joyfulness, their first fall in Canada.

   We can’t do it without you though!

   Join us for the 2016 Fall Food Drive to make this Thanksgiving and the rest of the fall a special time everyone can be grateful for!

   There are many ways you can join me and the thousands of amazing people in our community working to make a difference!

   Donate – For every $1 you donate, you provide 3 meals to a person that is hungry!

   Volunteer – There are many great opportunities with the Fall Food Drive – join the NYH truck drivers to pick up and deliver food or come out to one of the many great events planned to raise food for our neighbours!

   Run a Food & Funds Drive – This is a fun way to work together as a team with friends, family, classmates, coworkers and anyone else that would like to make a difference!

   Join the Public Sort –Sort food at the NYH warehouse on October 9 for a great way to spend Thanksgiving weekend with your family while ensuring food is sorted and ready to be delivered to families in need!

   Get Social! – Use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media to spread the news about the food drive with these great shareables!

   During this season of Thanksgiving, join me in showing our neighbours that we care about them.

   This Thanksgiving, let’s Leave Hunger Behind.

    

    

   
   
   
   
   

7. Hunger Awareness Week

   September 16, 2016 9:02 am Comments Off on Hunger Awareness Week

   Canada is such an amazing country, there is so much freedom and liberties we have that many countries don’t.  This is why I always find it shocking when I see the statistics of people that go hungry in our country.

   Hunger Awareness Week takes place from September 19-23. This is a week where Canadians like you and I band together to raise awareness for the people in our Canada that have to go without something to eat.

   In fact, on September 16 Hon Laura Albanese, MPP joined us at North York Harvest Food Bank to help us sort food during the First Annual Great MPP Food Sort!

   

   Did you know?

   

   Each day children in our communities may go without a meal. Poverty can lead to poor nutrition and that can affect a child’s grades  and quality of life in the long run.

   

   Every province and city in the country is affected by hunger.

   Who uses the food bank in Toronto? They range from many ages and backgrounds.

   • 1/3 of food bank users are children
   • 15% are seniors
   • 40% are on long term disability
   • 40% have graduated from college or university

   But what can we do?

   We can all take a stand and make a difference in the lives of people that are hungry!

   Get involved with your local food bank and the issue of hunger in your community in the following ways:

   Make a Donation

   A donation of $1 provides 3 meals

    

   Run a Food & Fund Drive

   Get your friends, family and coworkers together.  Be creative and have fun while giving back.

    

   Donate Food

   Great items to donate are canned fish, canned beans, canned tomatoes, rice & baby products

    

   Volunteer

   There are many ways to volunteer! Join us in the food bank, warehouse, on the truck, at events or in the office.

    

   Get Social

   Spread the word on all of your social media accounts about hunger in Canada! Find some Hunger Awareness Week tools here.

    

   You can make a difference for the people that are hungry in your community!

   Check out more photos from the Hon Laura Albanese MPP visit on Facebook

   Find out more about Hunger Awareness Week!

    

    

   
   
   
   
   

8. Back to School with a Full Belly

   August 26, 2016 9:14 am Comments Off on Back to School with a Full Belly

   Some kids love it.  Some kids hate it.  But it is on the way!  The kids are about to go back to school for another year of learning, friendship and fun.

   Personally, I loved back to school as a kid.  Every year at the end of summer, I got to go to the mall with my mom to buy new clothes and supplies.  We’d usually make a day of it and grab some pizza for lunch.

   I met Jenna earlier this summer.  She told me how she’s really excited to start grade four.  Her favourite classes are science and gym class.  “I can’t wait to see my friends again and tell them about all the things I did this summer!”

   Her mother Trish, on the other hand, is not as excited.  Her hours have been cut at work again and she is having trouble paying for Jenna’s school supplies. “Rent is so expensive – I really can’t afford to pay for extra things Jenna needs.”

   Trish isn’t the only one feeling the pinch in September.  Many clients that come into the food bank struggle with daily expenses. And food is often the most flexible thing in the budget.  Unhealthy food tends to be a lot cheaper than fresh foods so those items tend to make it into children’s lunches. 

   “I always felt terrible when I couldn’t put fresh fruit or vegetables in her lunches – but those things cost so much lately.”

   I’ve seen it myself when buying my groceries.  Fresh produce prices have been skyrocketing; sometimes it is just easier to get the cheaper items while sacrificing nutrition.

   Even though Jenna is still young, she can still tell when there isn’t enough food for a healthy lunch.  “Once in a while I get two oranges in my lunch.  Those are my favourite!  Last year I didn’t get oranges much. Sometimes I didn’t get much to eat at all.”

   
   This year Trish turned to the food bank, “I am always so grateful after going to the food bank.  I come home with healthy items for Jenna and myself.  Things like bread, cheese and meat so I can make her sandwiches for lunch.  And there are even eggs so she can have scrambled eggs in the morning – though I prefer mine sunny side up.”

   I’m relieved know that families in Toronto have access to these food banks.  No child should go to school hungry.

   Luckily, your support of North York Harvest helps us ensure that Trish can fill Jenna’s lunch bag with healthy foods each day.  She can also send Jenna off to school having had a healthy breakfast so she can concentrate on her studies.

   Help start the school year off right for kids just like Jenna!  Donate today to ensure no kid in your community goes without a healthy lunch.