We absolutely LOVE our volunteers! Every year they come in to sort food, help with pickups and deliveries, help people directly in the food banks, assist in the warehouse, give a hand in the office and so much more!
Without YOU we wouldn’t be able to ensure that more than 15,000 people in our city have access to the food they need. THANK YOU!
We wanted to thank you in a special way so we made a fun video for our incredible volunteers. Volunteer appreciation week is April 23-29 so don’t forget to hug a volunteer and show them some love!
Did you know that volunteering can be a great way to get out into the community and meet new friends?
Gord and Bonnie have been dedicated volunteers with North York Harvest since 2015. Every week they join us in the warehouse to sort food and help new volunteers get the hang of things. Without them we wouldn’t be able to send out quality products to the food bank network. You see, a lot of donations come into the warehouse and they need to be sorted for quality and into categories to ensure that food banks get what they need to better serve our community. This means that dented cans, expired food and other unwanted items don’t make it out the door.
When we have new volunteers join us (such as corporate teams or community groups) Gord and Bonnie are there to share their knowledge which enhances the experience for others. But they aren’t the only ones teaching people, “Every day is a new learning experience,” says Gord, “So many foods come through here that I have never heard of – and I used to work in the grocery business! People I sort with teach me about the food and how to use it in new recipes.”
Bonnie and Gord both agree about their favourite part of volunteering at the food bank – meeting people from different walks of life. “I enjoy meeting people from corporations, schools, seniors’ programs, special needs program and more! Volunteering is a great way to be social!” says Bonnie.
There are many benefits to becoming a volunteer in your community! Not only are you helping other people but you will also meet new people, learn new things, keep fit and build confidence.
Want to come in for an evening with family and friends?
Every Tuesday evening we offer sorting sessions for families and friends! Learn how YOUR help in the food sorting room goes a long way to ensure that your neighbours get the best food possible! It’s a great way to have fun, get some exercise and give back!
To join us on a Tuesday evening from 5:30-7:30 call Kadian at 416-635-7771 ext. 28 or kadian@northyorkharvest.com
Are you looking for an opportunity to bring your coworkers in for a volunteer experience?
We offer corporate volunteer sorting sessions! It’s a great way to learn about food insecurity in your community and work as a team to help make a difference!
For Community Groups, Schools and other groups contact Leslie Venturino at 416-635-7771 ext. 21 or leslie@northyorkharvest.com
Want to be a volunteer on a regular basis?
There are many positions that let you get involved with your community on a weekly basis! We’re in need of the following positions:
FOOD SORTERS
We’re looking for core sorters to join us in the warehouse to sort through donations before they reach the food banks
Monday, 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Wednesday, 12:30pm to 3:30pm
FOOD BANK VOLUNTEERS
Lawrence Heights Community Food Space (Lawrence/Allen area)
Tuesday, 1pm to 5pm – distribute food hampers
Tuesday, 8am to 12pm – receiving food orders
Room to Grow Food Bank (Kipling/The Westway area)
Wednesday, 9:15am to 12:30pm – receiving food orders
Oriole Food Space (Don Mills/Sheppard area)
Monday, 9:30am to 1pm or 1pm to 3:30pm – receiving food orders
St Vincent de Paul Food Bank (640 Glenholme Ave) is in need of volunteers twice per month to help unload groceries from the truck (typically the second and fourth Thursdays of the month).
WORKING ON OUR TRUCKS
Driving Assistants
We need some volunteers who can spend a day with our drivers. See first hand where our food comes from and where it goes.
Spring is in the air and our office is buzzing! Okay, yes I admit, these past few weeks have felt like we’ve experienced all four seasons at once – but trust me… Spring is almost here!
To celebrate the amazing weather on the way, we are kicking off the Spring Food Drive and we want YOU to be a part of it!
The Spring Drive is so important for making sure that the pantries are stocked during the warmer months to ensure no one has to go without! Together we can make sure that everyone meets their food needs!
Help us raise $100,000 and 100,000 lbs. of food! Your support will help more than 15,000 people each month using food banks, meal programs, prenatal/early parenting programs, community kitchens and other vital services throughout the city.
Getting involved with the food drive is a lot of fun and helps so many people! Just ask Lauren, who has been running food drives for more than ten years!
“I first heard about North York Harvest back in 2005 when I was 14 years old. A NYH bag came to our house with the local newspaper letting us know how we could help,” says Lauren. “I decided right then to do a food drive. At 14 it was a really cool thing to do. Our first food drive raised 170 pounds and its increased so much since then!”
Lauren and her parents have made food drives not only a family tradition, but a tradition within their neighbourhood. “I love going door to door to see everyone in the neighbourhood. A lot of the people I grew up with still give every year because they know that people rely on our help. It has become a real connection to the community.”
What are Lauren’s tips for running YOUR food drive?
It is much easier than it looks and it is much more rewarding too! Its benefits are huge!
We grocery shop as a family and sometimes with a few neighbours as well –add such items as baby formula, canned proteins. Living in a multi-cultural city and community, we also try to contribute spices and different types of food. Click here for a list of suggested foods to donate
Over 400 people rely on the food bank EVERY DAY. You can help!
You want the best when it comes to the food you eat. There’s no way you’d want something old, mouldy or funky smelling in your food.
It’s the same here at the food bank.
Food safety is extremely important. Safety measures are taken into consideration before the food even makes it into the warehouse. Our hardworking operations team ensures not to bring in food that may be hazardous to members of our community. Items like this can include damaged items, foods with missing labels and nutritional products that have expired.
Not only do we want everyone to meet their food needs in the community, we want them to enjoy their food safely.
As you may know, we prefer to take non-perishable food items from donations (canned goods, boxed items, etc.) to ensure we can get these items out to the public without safety issues. But…
Did you know…
Even though we are grateful for amazing donations from the community, there are just some items that we CANNOT accept. These items include:
Food products that are not identifiable or that have ingredients that are not identifiable (missing label or label written in a language other than English/French)
Partially consumed foods (open packaging)
Unpasteurized foods
Home preserves and canned items (jams, jellies, pickles etc.)
Meats, dairy and other high risk items that are not directly from a processor or store e.g. turkeys that have been in your freezer; you may assure us that that turkey has never been defrosted but because we don’t know that 100% we cannot accept it, sorry!
These guidelines make sure that people using the food banks don’t get sick from foods they consume.
Did you know…
There is a difference between Best Before and Expiry Dates. When it comes to packaged foods the dates can get a little confusing. Here are some tips to tell the difference between dates.
A best before date is simply the promise of the manufacturer that the food in the package will be of highest quality. It is not an indication of food safety.
Many times a best before date is not necessary and mostly used to indicate when the quality of food will begin to decrease (a change in taste and texture).
The only items REQUIRED to have expiry dates are baby formulas, meal replacements, formulated liquid diets and nutritional supplements. These items must be thrown out past the expiry date as the should NOT be consumed. This is because the nutritional content cannot be guaranteed beyond the expiry date and the nutritional content is very important for babies, the sick and the elderly.
We will accept foods up to three months past their best before date because we know that they are safe. However, in order to protect our community members’ dignity we prefer to receive donations of food that have at least 3 months remainingbefore their best before date.
Food Recalls
You may have seen food recalls on the news, specifically the latest one about Baby Food. These recalls affect the food bank and food bank clients.
How might a food be recalled?
Illness outbreak
Food tests identify a health risk
An inspection by CFIA detects a safety concern
A recall of the item in another country
The company initiates a recall
Other issues can arise such as food tampering
Recalls are taken very seriously at the food bank. These items are removed from our shelves and notices are sent out. If these items have already made it into people’s homes, we alert them and contact Toronto Public Health.
Ensuring public safety when it comes to food handling and distribution is one of our top priorities. If you join us for a food sorting session, you will be trained on how to identify the safety of the food you’re sorting. Remember: When in Doubt, Throw it Out!
What do you usually do on Family Day? The holiday is not even a decade old but has already given millions of Canadians an extra day off during the year to take a break and enjoy time with family.
Kathy, Matthew and Christian volunteer regularly at the food bank as a family activity. We love having them around giving support and helping us out with corporate and community sort groups.
When I think of Family Day, I think about families doing something special together. And The Leeder-Chiarottos demonstrate that each day!
Matthew and Christian took some time to answer questions I had just in time for the upcoming holiday.
Tell us about yourselves
We are two brothers, 10 and 12 years old. We live in North York with our mom, dad and our two precious cats Sam and Dean.
How long have you been volunteering?
We have been volunteering with the North York Harvest Food Bank for about a year and a half now.
Why did you decide to volunteer as a family?
We decided to volunteer as a family because we feel pretty lucky for everything that we have. My mom is big on helping others so she wanted us to learn to do the same. There is a lot of negative in the world and we would like to be the positive.
Why choose to volunteer with the food bank?
When you volunteer you need to choose wisely about how you will spend your time. There are not a lot of volunteer opportunities for kids our age that are interesting or that you can get promoted for doing good work.
My mom looked at a bunch of different things for us to do together and when she spoke to Lisa at North York Harvest, she was really positive about us coming in. We love to cook as a family and volunteering with food seemed like a good fit.
Since joining the team, we have had the chance to sort food, help with corporate groups as well as promote the food bank to the community. We have learned a lot about the problems people face putting good food on their tables at home.
Matthew & Christian with MPP Laura Albanese
What is your favourite part about volunteering as a family?
We like volunteering together because we talk and have fun. We meet interesting people and learn from everyone we connect with. After we sort food together or work with a corporate group we feel great. You know that you are making a difference with your family and that’s rewarding.
“You know that you are making a difference with your family and that’s rewarding”
What do you do outside of volunteering?
Outside of volunteering we play a lot of hockey in the winter and golf and tennis in the summer. We hang out with our friends and travel with our parents.
What do you tell your friends about your volunteering experience?
I tell them it is a great experience. Volunteering has changed my life and how I view things. I see that people are less fortunate than I am and I want to help people more. – Christian
The atmosphere at the food bank is great. Everyone is very friendly. Our friends have all asked us if they could come to sort food and help out. When we come to the food bank we don’t see the people who donate and we don’t see the clients that receive the food but we see all the people that come together in the middle to make it happen. Working with all these people, with their own reasons for volunteering, is so fascinating, uplifting and rewarding. Who knew that checking expiry dates, sorting food, making boxes, weighing all the donations could bring so many people together. – Matthew
Any memorable stories you’d like to share?
Last Christmas we were asked if we could help deliver some Christmas presents for one of the Food Bank programs. We all went out over the weekend to make sure that the kids received their gifts. All the kids were so happy to receive something special for themselves. It was moving because we were helping people get their Christmas. We were happy for our own Christmas because we were part of this experience.
One of the corporate groups we worked with was so cool that they decided to do a mannequin challenge during the food sorting. We had been in a flash mob before but never a mannequin challenge. Once everyone stopped laughing we all froze into position while they filmed. They put it to music and posted it on YouTube.
What would you say to someone that was thinking of becoming a volunteer?
Definitely don’t just think about volunteering. Volunteer! Even if you are a kid you can make a difference.
What are your family day plans?
We will make breakfast for our parents because we make wicked pancakes. We’ll probably play a few games. Watch an episode of the X Files. Chill with our cats. Make dinner together in a family master chef challenge
It’s so great hearing about different volunteer experiences! It truly enriches the lives of not only the person benefiting from the service, but also the volunteers themselves.
Thank you so much to Kathy, Matthew and Christian for making a huge difference in the warehouse and in the community!
Each and every day in the food bank I meet people from all walks of life. Each with their own story to tell. But even though the story is different, we all have a similar goal in life… to take care of our families.
I first met Layla when I was working at Oriole Food Space in North York. She moved to Canada with her family to seek refuge from a home that was no longer safe.
“Everything was gone. Our home, our jobs, our kids couldn’t go to school anymore. We were scared,” she shared with me.
She came to Canada and was able to reconnect with members of her extended family already living in our community. Layla and her family were overjoyed with the chance to start anew after a life of uncertainty and fear. “My kids were enrolled in school and my husband was working in a restaurant. It finally seemed as though things were turning around for us.”
But then the unexpected happened. Her husband suffered a severe heart attack and could no longer work at his restaurant job to support the family.
Once again, Layla felt like she had lost everything. She had to make sure that her kids had a roof over their head and food in their bellies. Unsure of how to support her family, she turned to one of her new neighbours for advice. They told her about her local food bank. She didn’t even know that such places existed in our community to help her and others in need.
Because of YOUR support, we are able to help people like Layla to make sure that they have access to nutritious food. Thank you for making a difference!
Daffodil and OFS Volunteers
We are also able to help with referrals for other community programs to assist newcomers with their language skills, resume building and child care.
Layla had lost many things, but it doesn’t have to mean that it is lost forever. “Because of the food bank, I was able to feed my kids, feel safe and build a new life. I am so grateful.”
Together we can help people in need rebuild what was lost.
As we enter into the coldest months of winter, the food bank shelves will begin to empty. We need your help to ensure that when families like Layla’s come to the food bank, there will be enough food to share.
Please give generously today to keep food on our shelves so our neighbours can feed their families. Give today so that this winter none one goes hungry.
Lawrence Heights Community Food Space (Lawrence/Allen area)
