Tag Archive: northern toronto

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    Hi There!  My name is Harvey and I’m a North York Harvest delivery truck.  I have an amazing job!  Every day I get to drive around northern Toronto delivering nutritious food to our neighbours in need.  Maybe we’ve crossed paths once or twice?

    I get to visit 77 community programs in North Toronto, including food banks, shelters, meal programs, prenatal programs, community kitchens and after school programs.  My job is to make sure that the food that you donate gets into the hands (and stomachs) of people that rely on these programs.

    Not long ago I met Holly, a food bank member and volunteer when I dropped food off to her local food bank.  She wanted me to share this message with you:

    “Because of the Food Bank, not only have I made new friends, and gotten the food I need to stay healthy, I was also given the gift of giving back. I no longer just have a place to live, I have a home!”

    My next stop is Kathryn. She helps women get the nutrition they need to raise healthy children.  This is especially important because in some parts of the city (including where Kathryn works) 1 in 2 children live in poverty. That statistic is heartbreaking, so we’re pitching in to help. Together we’re making sure Kathryn has the food she needs to provide expecting moms with hot meals, nutritional advice and food to take home.  

    Later in the morning, I visit Norma.  Norma runs a seniors lunch program in her neighbourhood.  She told me she was so happy to see me because my delivery makes sure seniors have a hot meal to eat and friends to share it with.  Thank you for making that possible! Your support allowed me to bring healthy food to Norma so she could cook up a feast for her neighbours. She told me about the first meal the group shared together – homemade chicken noodle soup. “I was almost in tears when a client told me she couldn’t remember the last time she had homemade soup.”  The idea of having a homemade bowl of soup may not seem like much, but to the people I visit,  it makes a world of difference.

    My last delivery is to Layla at the Oriole Food Space.  Layla lost everything when she had to leave her home country. Thanks to your support of the food bank, she had somewhere to go to help her get back on her feet.  She wanted me to share this message with you: “Because of the food bank, I was able to feed my kids, feel safe and build a new life. I am so grateful.”

    As you can see, my job is super important.  But I can’t do it without you.  Just like you need to fuel yourself up for busy days, I do too.  Do you think you can help us raise $5000 to keep me on the road?  Each month I make sure that more than 16,000 people get the food they need to thrive – and they, just like everyone else at North York Harvest Food Bank (especially me!) would be incredibly grateful for your support! 

    Just $50 will keep me on the road for an entire day!  And if you make a gift of $250 it keeps me truckin’ for an entire week – that’s a LOT of deliveries thanks to you!  THANK YOU!

     

     

  2. Isha’s Story

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    This is Isha’s story.  But it is a story familiar to so many people in northern Toronto.

    Isha lives with her 2 siblings, mom and grandma in public housing in northern Toronto.  Her mom works several jobs and her grandma is elderly and struggles with failing health.  Isha often has to take care of the meals for her family.

    “Mom works a lot so I help by cooking and getting food for school ready but by the end of the week the fridge is usually empty.”

    Often skipping lunch so her two younger siblings have enough to eat she is grateful for the afterschool program that she can attend.  “They get some good food for us and on Wednesdays we cook a whole meal together and I can take leftovers homeUsually it’s only a day or 2 until mom can buy more groceries. But when it’s longer, we can go to the program and get some extra food to help us get through. I’m not sure what my family and I would do without this help,” she shares. “It’s not just the food, its knowing there is someone in our community we can trust, someone who will be there for us.

    This is the impact that you have.  When you donate to North York Harvest Food Bank, we make sure there is enough food for the people who need it most.

    Help people just like Isha by making a gift today!

    **Isha’s name has been changed by her request