North York Harvest Food Bank | toronto food bank Archives — Page 5 of 8

Tag Archive: toronto food bank

It Can Happen to Anyone
June 10, 2016 8:32 am Comments Off on It Can Happen to Anyone
Personally, I have never used a food bank. But as someone that has spent time working at North York Harvest and getting to know the clients – I know that it can happen and it could happen when I least suspect it.

One particular story that has touched my heart lately is Jennifer’s. I met her a couple of months ago at one of our partner agencies that assists women that are pregnant and in need of food.

Jennifer is only 17 years old and was working at a part time job to save for college. But then life took one of its many unexpected turns and Jennifer discovered that she was pregnant. Kicked out of her home, she found herself without a place to live and not enough money to pay for food or rent. I really felt for her – something like this can happen to anyone.

When we met, Jennifer had been staying on a friend’s couch and using the food bank. “I was lost with nowhere to go. A social service worker I contacted told me about this prenatal program that also runs a food bank. Even though I’m in a really tough spot right now – it helps me get by.”

With the help of the Jane St. Hub Prenatal Nutrition Program, Jennifer is able to access weekly meetings with other women that are pregnant. I have visited the program once before and can see how truly beneficial it can be for some people. It gives these women a chance to bond and discuss any problems they may be facing – and Jennifer finds this extremely helpful given her current situation. After each meeting, the women receive a hamper of healthy food and have an opportunity to speak with a registered dietitian regarding any nutritional concerns they may have. For many women, this program is a gift.

“The dietitian in the program has really helped me learn about nutrition – which is extremely important to me because I’m eating for my baby now too. In fact, after I am back on my feet I hope I can finally go to college and become a dietitian myself. I want to help others the way that I have been helped.” Jennifer said hopefully.

I feel better knowing that there are programs in my community that help people like Jennifer. Sometimes life doesn’t work out as planned. But because of people like you, I know that there is someone out there to catch us when we fall.

This is just one of the many stories that come out of the programs that you support! Without you, Jennifer may not have found the help she needed or the inspiration to keep going despite unplanned circumstances.

The summer is a time when our food bank stock becomes low. Hunger in our city doesn’t get to take a summer vacation – and neither does Jennifer. With your help, you can ensure that your neighbours are able to access amazing programs in your community regardless of circumstance.

I’m making a plan this summer to partner with Jennifer and others like her to ensure they have the support and healthy food they need. I hope you will join me!

Please make a gift today and help us plan for a summer where no one goes hungry.

Don’t miss out on the latest news! Sign up for our Enews today!
All About Food
June 3, 2016 7:19 am Comments Off on All About Food
Want to know more about the food that goes in and out of the food bank in your community? Look no further!

See the PDF!
Guest Blog: Leaving a Legacy
May 20, 2016 8:43 am 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
Guest Blog: Meet Chloe
May 13, 2016 6:30 am Comments Off on Guest Blog: Meet Chloe
At North York Harvest Food Bank, we are so lucky to have AMAZING donors, volunteers and supporters make a difference in the lives of over 15,000 people in your community EACH MONTH!

________________________________

Hi Everyone!

I am 11 years old and in grade 5 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School. I got into volunteering at the food bank after my family and I went to drop off some donations and got a chance to have a tour of the sorting facility. My favourite part about volunteering is having a great feeling that I help out and being able to tell my friends about my experience and ask that they help out too.

For my birthday I was lucky to have 2 parties. One with friends and one with my family. For the family celebrations, I asked my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents to collect their loose change and bring it on my birthday instead of buying me presents. It felt great when they brought their change and I put it into the container that I was collecting it in and brought it when we went to sort food in March. My family thought it was really cool and they promised that they will try to save more change for the next time I come to them to collect for the food bank. My cousins were happy to help.

My mom always tells us how lucky we are for having so much. Living in a nice house, having lots of toys and always food and snacks. She told us that not too far from where we live there are many kids who live in very sad situations. They don’t have toys, they don’t have a big house and many of them only get very little to eat. They have no choice of what to eat.

My mom also told us that she has to decided every day what she is going to cook for dinner, but there are parents out there who have to decide between paying the rent or buying food. This makes me very sad. So that’s why I want to help out the food bank so that kids can have meals.

We plan to volunteer at the sorting facility, I am still collecting change to bring along. I am also going to make little things to sell to my friends to raise money. I have also invited friends to come with us to help sort food.

I think volunteering is fun and it makes you feel great!

Thank you,

Chloe

__________________________

Thank you, Chloe for being such an inspiration and helping people in your community!

If you would like to join Chloe in making a difference, see the many ways you can get involved with us here!
Students for Change
May 6, 2016 8:50 am Comments Off on Students for Change
Food 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!
Who Uses The Food Bank?
April 29, 2016 3:29 pm 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?

Would you like to print this and share?

View the PDF
Volunteers: Vital to Our Community!
April 1, 2016 2:14 pm 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!

VOLUNTEER WITH US!

Check out the PDF Here!
Eight GREAT Reasons to Volunteer!
March 18, 2016 6:39 am Comments Off on Eight GREAT Reasons to Volunteer!
Volunteers are incredibly important to their community! I get to meet fantastic volunteers of North York Harvest every day and they always have a smile on their face and a great story to tell.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of any nonprofit organization! Without your help, charities like North York Harvest would not be able to collect, sort and distribute millions of pounds of food that serves over 16,000 people each month!

Did you also know that there are many benefits in becoming a volunteer?

1. Learn a new skill. Did you know NYH volunteers learn skills such as safe food handling, cooking, building a budget and much more?

2. Make new friends and meet interesting people. Meet new people with similar interests or people from different walks of life. Bond with others while helping out in your community.

3. Boost your resume. Volunteering is a job even though you aren’t paid to do it. Many employers and colleges find the skills you gain from volunteering very important when looking for a person to hire.

4. Increase self-confidence. When you do good in the community, it really gives you a feeling of accomplishment and pride. These feel good feelings will go with you into other areas of your life such as work or friendships.

5. Stay physically fit. Many of the volunteers at North York Harvest lift boxes and are on their feet moving around to sort food or serve food bank clients. But even if you have limited mobility there are many other ways to get involved such as making phone calls and helping in the office!

6. Set a good example for your kids. Steffi volunteers with her family sorting food in the warehouse. “We serve as examples for children through our actions more than our words. We have not ever used a food bank and many need to. So I want my children to understand this is a reality for many people in Toronto”.

7. Minimize stress. Move beyond your day-to-day troubles that can arise from your job or stress at home.

8. Make a difference! Volunteers are essential to maintaining a thriving community! It wouldn’t be possible without you!

When you volunteer, it is a gift to yourself and your community!

Join us today as one of our amazing volunteers! To find out what kind of opportunities we offer, click here!

Tag Archive: toronto food bank

Did you know…?

But what can we do?

Rumsha had a great time fundraising for a cause she cares about and so can you!

When you volunteer, it is a gift to yourself and your community!