Tag Archive: north york

  1. 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/

  2. North York Harvest Food Bank needs a new home

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    NYH needs a new home to nourish our community for years to come!

    Sadly, North York Harvest Food Bank needs to find a new home.

    With more than 1 in 10 Torontonians turning to a food bank last year, we have outgrown our space. What was once equipped to serve our community is failing as the demand for emergency food assistance has outpaced the constraints of our warehouse.

    At North York Harvest, we are facing daily challenges in our current space due to structural and capacity issues that are hindering our ability to get nourishing food to those who need it most.

    • Structural Issues: The warehouse roof leaks, creating unsafe conditions and causing damage to critical food supplies.
    • Cold Storage Deficiencies: There is inadequate cold storage, making it impossible to properly store and distribute enough perishable items like milk, cheese, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and proteins.
    • Dry Storage Shortages: A lack of sufficient dry storage limits the ability to accept and efficiently distribute donated goods, further complicating operations.
    • Operational Impact: These challenges are slowing food distribution at a time when the citywide need has reached alarming levels—food banks in Toronto saw 3.49 million visits in 2024, a staggering increase from 935,000 visits in 2019.

    Our warehouse is critical to our operations. Not only for our ability to serve nearly 30,000 client visits each month, but also as a hub of innovation, education, and community care, including:

    Three people in a warehouse hold a box and smile for the camera.

    FoodReach: Our warehouse is the distribution centre for our social enterprise, FoodReach, which supports public and non-profit organizations, including schools and other food banks, by providing food at affordable prices for programs across Ontario.

    Leadership in Logistics: Our employment and training program utilizes our warehouse as a training ground to provide practical experience and training in warehousing and logistics. Successful graduates are offered full-time jobs with benefits at Canadian Tire. Through this program, we can fight unemployment and underemployment in our communities and provide pathways to financial independence.

    Sort and Learn workshops: Every year we host workshops for corporate and community groups to connect with their local food bank by learningVolunteers from Jazwares stand in a warehouse with a North York Harvest Food Bank sign that says how much food they sorted for their community. about what we do, the underlying causes of food insecurity, and how we can work together toward long-term solutions.

    Our lease is up in 2026 and we are feeling increasing pressure to secure an affordable space in time.

    With the City of Toronto joining Kingston and Mississauga in declaring food insecurity an emergency, we are calling on the City to provide immediate funding to help us build a safe, efficient warehouse that can handle the growing demand for food assistance.

    Read our full statement here

  3. Door Dash Delivers for Students

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    As students return to campuses everywhere, many are on even tighter budgets than usual. In some cases students didn’t have the same job opportunities during the summer months, making it even more challenging when they return to school. As a result, some of our busiest member agencies operate on university and college campuses.

    Over the past year, many of us have enjoyed ordering takeout from our favourite restaurants and dining in the comfort of our homes. These days the simple luxury of ordering takeout after a long week, may not be in the budget for many of our friends and neighbours. As a result of these circumstances, DoorDash recognized the need for additional support in communities nationwide, and has partnered with a number of organizations nationwide to make takeout delivery easier for families and individuals nationwide.

    At North York Harvest, DoorDash’s donation of $10,000 worth of gift cards was distributed to Seneca College students in September. For budget-conscious students, having access to a $25 DoorDash gift card, was a wonderful way to give a healthy and hopeful kickstart to the upcoming school year.

  4. Building Strong Community Partnerships

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    Operating a food bank has many unique challenges, many of which has been further amplified because of the COVID-19
    pandemic. “Once COVID hit, North York Harvest was put into a position to change how business was done,” says
    Dianna Stapleton, volunteer and board chair at Weston Area Emergency Support (WAES). Stapleton has worked in the food
    security industry for more than 30 years, with much of her time spent volunteering with WAES which means she understands
    the unique needs of small food banks. At the beginning of the pandemic, WAES would not have been able to keep its doors
    open and support families, and individuals in need had it not been for North York Harvest. “We spent a lot of time with the
    team at North York Harvest trying to figure out how to get food so that we could assist the community,” she says. It was
    through this support that enabled WAES to access alternative avenues for food and donations that would not have been
    possible for a small organization.“Sometimes we get into a routine and may not think there’s a better or different way to do things,” she explains. “Having the other members in North York Harvest’s Agency Network to tap into their expertise, is one of the biggest benefits.” Without the traditional networking opportunities that many other types
    of businesses have, Stapleton and her colleagues at WAES value the regular meetings with other professionals in the food
    security space for the chance to also share experience and celebrate shared success. As we all work towards basic income
    that allows for affordable housing and accessible food many would agree with Stapleton, “Food banks are an emergency
    room in a hospital, you don’t want to use it but you are glad when it is there.” At our core, it’s important for community
    member to not feel a stigma around needing their support.

  5. Back to School Brings New Opportunities

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    As we approach the new school year, families that are already experiencing food insecurity are facing additional challenges as they prepare their school-aged children for September.

    Like many in our community whose employment was disrupted due to the pandemic, Christina lost her full-time position last summer. When she found out one of North York Harvest’s food spaces operates from her neighbourhood community centre, she became a client.

    “Those were trying times after losing my job and having a school-aged child idling at home throughout the summer,” shares Christina.

    Over the last decade, children have made up just over 20% of Canada’s general population yet they represent more than 30% of our food bank clients.

    Christina was appreciative of the additional food she got from North York Harvest every other week. “Not having to constantly worry about getting enough healthy food after paying rent and other necessities is a huge relief.”

    The North York Harvest strives to maintain an accessible and equitable network so that the most vulnerable, especially families with children and seniors, can receive the support they need. Currently North York Harvest is providing emergency food to more than 2,500 individuals each week.

    Our service is made possible by the generosity of community members like The Schulich Foundation.  Please join us in spreading hope, health and well-being for the community, and double your impact before the end of September.

    The Schulich Foundation, one of North York Harvest’s long-standing supporters, wants to ensure the generosity of neighbours-helping-neighbours has an even greater impact and will match all donations, dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000, until September 30. 

  6. Everyone Can Be A Hero

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    Family, friends and relaxation, that’s what summer should be all about. But for many families in our community, summer adds a significant stress as they grapple with additional food costs. In fact, summer is the time of year when our community’s food needs are at a peak, yet we receive our lowest level of donations. With your support, we can continue helping nourish families who turn to North York Harvest to meet their food needs.

    During the pandemic you have helped make the Hamper Hero Virtual Food Drive a major success! While in-person food drives were not possible, the generous support North York Harvest received from families, schools and community groups was incredible. As we head into the summer months, the positive response continues with an increasing number of community members participating in virtual food drives. Our community continues to need your support, and we’re pleased to be able to help families with your contributions.

    Here are some tips for increasing the impact of your Virtual Food Drive

    Goal Setting: While it may seem simple, setting a fundraising target creates excitement for everyone who donates. Consider setting a reward for meeting your target to get everyone even more engaged.

    Make It Special: Select a date and host a kick-off event that gets everyone on board. Consider engaging your network by sharing a video about the work that North York Harvest does.

    Give Regular Reminders: Keep your group updated on the success of your Virtual Food Drive by sharing via social media platforms. Encourage everyone who has contributed to share on their social media channels and remember to tag North York Harvest too!

    Are you interested in hosting a virtual food drive with your friends and family? Find out how you can get involved.

  7. Approach to COVID-19 Vaccination

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    North York Harvest Food Bank’s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic is guided by our organizational responsibilities to workplace health and safety and our commitment to human rights.  Just as we believe that all community members have a right to food, we believe that access to health care resources should be provided free from discrimination.  Sadly, our collective experience with COVID-19 demonstrates that this is not the case.  Community consultations conducted by Toronto Public Health “stated that COVID-19 has laid bare and exacerbated long-standing systemic inequities related to poverty, racism and other forms of discrimination” and that “inequitable access to the social determinants of health has provided favourable conditions for COVID-19 to spread in populations already marginalized by existing inequities, particularly Indigenous, Black, racialized and low-income communities”.[1]  To state it bluntly, our community members are at disproportionate risk of contracting COVID-19 but not as likely to be able to access appropriate protections.[2]

    As an organization, we have spared no expense to make our workplaces and food spaces safe, to protect the health of our workers and to maximize access to emergency food assistance in our community.   We have committed to use guidance from public health experts as a minimum operating standard for all of our work.  This approach extends to vaccines.  While vaccinations provide individual protections from COVID-19, the primary goal of a vaccination campaign is to establish “herd immunity” whereby the majority of the population is immunized and COVID-19 can no longer spread.[3]  Our community will not be safe until this threshold is met.  As a result, North York Harvest Food Bank joins with Toronto Public Health to strongly encourage all Torontonians to get vaccinated if they are eligible to do so.   While we acknowledge that vaccination is an individual choice and that people may have valid reasons for not receiving a vaccination, we strongly believe that choosing to be vaccinated is an important way that all eligible Torontonians can support our work and our community. 

    North York Harvest Food Bank will facilitate COVID-19 vaccinations in any way that we can.  This includes using our food spaces to provide information and opportunities for vaccinations to our community members. 

    The availability of safe and effective vaccines provides us with a powerful tool to combat COVID-19.  I thank you for your commitment as we lend our support to local vaccination campaigns.

    Sincerely,

    Ryan Noble

    Executive Director

     

    Additional Information on COVID-19 Vaccinations

    Vaccine fact sheets from the government of Ontario

    Information on the rollout of vaccines from Toronto Public Health

  8. North York Harvest Launches 2021 Give 30 Campaign

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    Since 2012, Give 30 has been making a difference in communities nationwide, the United States and Australia. This grassroots movement was inspired by the Muslim faith’s Ramadan which takes place from April 13 until May 12, 2021. Regardless of of faith or background, everyone is encouraged to support partnering community organizations to fight hunger and food insecurity in our communities.  This  year, the campaign runs until August 31, which enables donors to extend their participation past the traditional 30-day campaign period. As a participating member agency, when you make a donation to Give 30 through North York Harvest Food Bank, your donation directly impacts the lives of families and individuals right here in your local community. By supporting one another, at times when we all need it most, we can each make a difference, together. 

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    Find out more about the values, and vision of Give 30  along how this important initiative began with a singular idea and inspiration. Interested in learning how you can connect with others who are also taking part in this global movement? Become a Give 30 Fan on Facebook and follow Give 30 on  Twitter. 
     
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