All About Food
Comments Off on All About FoodWant to know more about the food that goes in and out of the food bank in your community? Look no further!
Tag Archive: north york
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Guest Blog: Leaving a Legacy
Comments Off on Guest Blog: Leaving a Legacy
It would only take a few minutes talking with me to know that the food bank is an important part my life. No, it’s not because I need to use it myself – any more. But I remember and I know how much it means to children and families that need them to get by.I recently took the time to think about what matters to me in life as I was preparing my will. My family of course. My children and grandchildren. But I also thought about how I have been donating to the food bank for many years – and I knew I had to include them in my will. And here’s why.
When I was a child, we were poor. My parents didn’t have the means to give us the life that they wanted for us. Every day, I would see that all of my friends had things that I could never hope to own. I would stare in wonderment when I entered their homes and knew that I would never want them to set foot in mine. I’m a bit ashamed to admit it but I was embarrassed of my life.
Back then life was hard and there was one part of my life in poverty that will always haunt me. Not having enough to eat. That was probably the thing that scarred me the most. We could never open up a cupboard or fridge and take out something to eat whenever we wanted. There was seldom any food in the house. Those were the days when there were very few places to go for food when you were hungry. Every other week we actually got a decent lunch on my dad’s payday, but the meager amount of food bought that day would only be enough for a few days. Being invited to one of my friend’s houses for dinner or lunch was something that I would never pass up and going to the free city camp was like heaven because I actually got 3 meals a day for a week. I would find any excuse to go away somewhere because I knew I would be fed regularly. Reading a catalogue was more about looking at the refrigerator pages to see what was in them.
My sister and I have conversations about when we first had our own jobs and homes, the first thing that we did was stock the cupboards and the fridge.
Today my life is very different. I have been blessed with a wonderful family and we never have to worry about where our next meal will come from. Yet I never forget the days when I was hungry. And I never forget that there are still children out there who are hungry every day. It simply shouldn’t happen.
Remembering the hunger pangs and many days of feeling unwell because we didn’t have anything to eat, I sympathize so much with these children that experience this nowadays.
So as I think about my legacy, as I think of what I want to leave to this world I think about the food bank. I have taken care of my family first and I have also made a space for people who are hungry today. That is one of the reasons that I chose to leave a legacy gift to the North York Harvest Food Bank. Now that I have left that struggle in the past, I have the means to leave a gift in my will that will benefit other children that don’t have enough to eat.
No child should go hungry. Children should never have that kind of memory to deal with. – K.C
You too can leave a lasting impression in your community by making a legacy gift.
A gift in your will to North York Harvest Food Bank will ensure that children, parents, grandparents and many of your other neighbours do not have to go a day without enough food to eat. Because of you, their future will be filled with hope instead of hunger.
Is a legacy gift the right option for you?
To find out more about leaving a gift in your will, gifts of securities or estate gifts contact Maria at maria@northyorkharvest.com
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Students for Change
Comments Off on Students for ChangeFood is extremely important in all of our lives.
It’s a part of each day, whether we are sharing it with others or enjoying it by ourselves. We make decisions as to whether we want to go to a restaurant to eat, cook something up in the kitchen or just take it easy and order something right to the door.
Whether your favourite food is pizza, salad, cookies or the many kinds of food out there, we all have opinions and preferences about the food we eat.
We can’t live without it.
This is why I find the statistics of hunger in our own backyard so disheartening.
Did you know…?
Over 15,000 people use the food bank in North York every month.
1/3 of food bank users are children.
54% of people using the food bank will miss a meal to pay other bills such as rent and transportation.
33% of the people we serve will go without food at least one day per week.
But what can we do?
As you may recall, a few months ago I told you about Niraj Maharaj, the coordinator of the Food 4 Thought Food Bank at York University. He saw the need for a food bank for students on campus and went to work making it happen. He’s not the only person from York University that is making changes in his community.
Recently, I got a chance to speak with Rumsha Siddiqui, a student at York U. She heard about hunger statistics in her class and was shocked that this is such a prominent issue in a city such as Toronto. Hearing about this problem made her motivated to make a difference.
“We are all part of one big community and it bothers me that some of us go to bed with a full stomach while others don’t. I felt the need to do something.”
Rumsha and her classmates banded together to raise awareness in the community and help their neighbours in need.
They visited schools to do presentations, teaching others about hunger in the city.
They approached local stores to sponsor their food drive.
They even ran a cotton candy event with the local student clubs to raise awareness.
Rumsha and a few of her fellow students also joined us in the warehouse to volunteer sorting thousands of pounds of food. She told me how she had a great time helping out. She said she admired the dedication of the volunteers and staff.
In total, the York University students managed to raise 5800 lbs. of food for their neighbours in need! With that incredible donation, 580 people in Toronto will receive a hamper full of good healthy food and be able to put food on the table tonight.
What advice does Rumsha have for anyone wanting to fundraise for charity?
“Reach out to local businesses – even if you get rejected, don’t give up! We ended up having 3 stores sponsor us and raised a lot of food. Don’t forget to reach out to your local community and give them the facts. Just like we had no idea how big of an issue hunger is in our city – most people are also shocked to find out.”
Rumsha had a great time fundraising for a cause she cares about and so can you!
The Every Plate Full Campaign is on right now and it’s such an easy and fun way to get together with your friends, classmates, coworkers or even just as an individual to raise money for people in need! Click here to find out more!
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Who Uses The Food Bank?
Comments Off on Who Uses The Food Bank?Your support benefits thousands of people throughout Toronto. Curious about who uses the food bank in your neighbourhood?
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Nutrition for a Lifetime
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One of the amazing things about working with North York Harvest is getting the chance to meet so many different people in our community. Earlier this week I took the time to visit the Jane St. Hub and meet with Kathryn Walton.
Every week there is a drop in program, “Jane St. Hub Prenatal Nutrition Program” for women hoping to learn about having healthy pregnancy, including improving their access to healthy food. These women get together for a chance to meet other pregnant people, have a snack, discuss issues relevant to pregnancy and access the food bank. Kathryn has worked with the prenatal program there for 2 years as a Registered Dietitian and assists these women with all of their needs involving nutrition.
I popped into the program right before their group chat began and met up with Kathryn in the kitchen. She was busy at work preparing snacks and a hot meal for the women to enjoy while having drop in.
“Some of these women haven’t eaten all day and it really means a lot to them to come in and have a hot meal waiting for them,” Kathryn tells me.
The food bank runs out of the small kitchen and provides extra food for the women to feed themselves and their families. One thing I absolutely loved was the thoughtful and educational notes that Kathryn makes to go along with the food bank items. These lovely notes contain messages about nutrition info and tips to prepare food bank items at home.
As part of the educational aspect of the prenatal program, Kathryn motivates the women to pay attention to proper nutrition. The women love learning about nutrition labels on foods as well as how to prepare the items from the food bank. “Some items will go untouched in the program simply because the women don’t know what to do with them. So I’ll discuss what options they have and how to easily make a healthy meal using the item”. Sometimes Kathryn will have food demos in the kitchen using canned items such as beans, tomatoes or salmon to prepare the group meal.
“Education about proper diet and nutrition really sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy food choices.” Kathryn says.
It was such a nice experience taking the time to visit with Kathryn, the clients and the other women working in the program. It is so great to know that regardless of someone’s income or circumstances in life, they are able to access these kinds of programs.
Without you programs like this would not be possible!
Your support touches the lives of others in many ways and can prepare people and their children for a lifetime of healthy choices.
Make a donation today to support the programs in your community.
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Volunteer Appreciation 2016!
Comments Off on Volunteer Appreciation 2016!We love our volunteers! Without their dedication and heart, we wouldn’t be able to provide food for over 13,000 people in Toronto every month! THANK YOU!
To celebrate their commitment, we have put together a slideshow of many of our fantastic volunteers in action!
Join the Team! Volunteer with Us!
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Volunteers: Vital to Our Community!
Comments Off on Volunteers: Vital to Our Community!Without the help of our INCREDIBLE volunteers it would not be possible to serve over 13,000 people every month!
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Amp Up Your Food & Funds Drive!
Comments Off on Amp Up Your Food & Funds Drive!One of the best ways of getting involved with your community is by holding your very own food & funds drive! This is an awesome way of collecting money and non-perishable items that will go towards providing many meals for your neighbours in need!
Did you know that there are MANY ways to raise food and funds that are exciting and fun?
Check out some of these great ideas!
Host a talent show!
Invite the entire school including parents and the surrounding community! You can charge 2 cans for admission and have us come and support you! Don’t forget to live tweet everything!
Have a street or parking lot party!
Put out a food collection bin and run a carnival and BBQ. Game tickets can go towards NYH!
Cram a bus!
Cram a bus with as much food as (safely) possibly and join us at the food bank! We would love to give you a tour and show you how we sort the food!
Dress Down (or Up) for Work
In order for an employee to come wearing something other than usual, they must bring two cans of food or a monetary donation.
Host a Competition for Who Brings in the Most Food & Funds
Give out prizes like:
- most food collected per site/office/classroom
- collected the most money
- best photos of the food collection staging
Host a Silent Auction or Raffle
Funds raised from your event will help support over 13,000 people a month with their food needs!
Host a Dance
Attendees can bring food or a donation to the food bank as their entrance fee. You can even have a dance off to find out who has the best moves!
Have a Garage Sale
Clean out your unwanted items (one person’s trash can be another’s treasure!) while raising money for your neighbours that are hungry!
Still not sure what kind of fun ideas there are when helping your community? Check out this great list of 87 IDEAS!
Ready to have a great time and provide meals to your neighbours that are hungry? Contact Leslie at leslie@northyorkharvest.com or 416-635-7771 ex 21 TODAY!
