Tag Archive: north york

  1. Planning for the Holidays

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    It’s that crazy time of year! The cold weather and December brings a busy time for us all and if you’re anything like me, you’ve got some holiday plans on your schedule too.  I’m tired just thinking about all that’s going on before we kick off the new year.

    What do the holidays mean to you?  Is it about family and celebration?  Or maybe a time to reflect on your past year and what is to come?  The holidays can be different for every person.

    But, the holidays can be harder for some people than others.  Sometimes they can be much harder than they were just the year before.

    Meet Penny.

    Penny has two daughters aged 7 and 11.  As a single mom, she works full time while her daughters go to school and take dance classes.

    Everything was going well until the unexpected happened.

    All of a sudden, Penny was also needed to be caregiver to her two elderly and sick grandparents.  She had not planned for this kind of bump in the road.

    We’ve all had those times where something unexpected has happened.  Luckily for some people there is financial support or family to fall back on during those times.  Others, like Penny find themselves trapped.

    “I didn’t know what to do.  I’ve always been a planner but I didn’t know how I was going to plan my way through this,” Penny says of the experience, “All of a sudden I had to take care of the whole family – not just myself and the girls.”

    With her family depending on her, she knew that she needed outside help.  She wouldn’t have time or money to take care of everything – especially during this time of year.

    That’s when Penny ended up at the food bank.

    Between the hamper that she receives every other week from her local food bank, store sales and coupon clipping; Penny has found a way to ensure that everyone in her family is able to eat nutritious meals each day.
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    “If not for the food bank, there’s no way I would be able to feed my family and give my kids the holiday celebration that they deserve.” Penny says, “The holidays are much harder than usual but I’m glad to know that I can get help – anyone can.”

    Penny has been saving up bit by bit to be able to give her kids gifts and a nice dinner.

    “I want them to have what other kids have, they shouldn’t be left out of a holiday.  Thanks to the help we are getting from the food bank – they don’t have to be.”

    Because of your support during the Winter Food Drive – Penny will be able to serve a healthy holiday meal to her whole family and that is something to celebrate!

    Hunger doesn’t hibernate and we can make a difference for families just like Penny’s!

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    Let’s work together for a hunger free holiday!  Help us raise $250,000 and 250,000 lbs. of food for the Winter Food Drive. 

    No one should go without enough food to eat.





  2. Top Foods to Donate

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    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!

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    Get the PDF

     

     

     

     

  3. Happy Halloween!

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    Happy Halloween!

    We hope you enjoy all the tricks and treats you get today!

    Make this Halloween a little less scary for people that are hungry by providing meals in your community. Each donation of $1 provides 3 meals for people in your neighbourhood!

    Scare hunger away today!

    Provide 30 spooky good meals for $10

    Haunt up 60 dinners for $20

    Scare away 150 empty tummies for $50

    Boo!

    Together we can make Toronto a less scary place for people that are hungry!





  4. Sharing What We Have

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    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

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    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. Winter Public Sort

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    THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE WINTER PUBLIC SORT!

    This year’s winter public sort takes place on December 10th!  

    Every year we welcome families looking to give back and help their communities during the holiday season.

    To get involved this year, please contact Jane at 416-635-7771 x 31 or email jane@northyorkharvest.com

    We will have 2 sorting sessions: 10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm.  

    Please check out the pictures from last year on Facebook (and make sure you like the page)!

     

    Learn more about available volunteer opportunities and how you can give time to make a difference.

     





  7. The Meaning of Thanksgiving

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    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.

     

     





  8. Back to School with a Full Belly

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    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!”

    IMG_4316Her 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.”

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    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.