Tag Archive: toronto food bank

  1. World Food Day

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    Today is World Food Day and we want to know what it means to you?

    Does it make you think about all of your favourite foods?

    How they taste or smell?

    How they are made?

    Where they come from?

    Or does it make you think about people who may not have enough food to eat?

    World Food Day was created to be a day of action against hunger across the world.  October 16th was declared World Food Day in 1945 by the United Nations in an effort to end hunger.

    Many people don’t think of their community when they think of hunger in the world.  It seems to be something that you only really see on television or in the news.  But the reality is that almost 1 million Canadians use a food bank every month.  13,000 of them happen to be your own neighbours.

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    Hunger and the need for help can happen to anyone.  Low wages, loss of a job, family tragedy, health issues, and many more reasons contribute to poverty in Toronto.  54% of the people that use our services have skipped meals in order to pay for other things such as utilities, rent, transportation or even so their own children can have a meal.  A parent never wants to make the choice between feeding their children and paying the rent.

    What can you do to help?

    There are many ways that you can get involved in your community and help put an end to hunger in your own backyard.

    Together we can make a real impact and help parents, grandparents and children overcome the struggle of not having anything to eat.

    Today is World Food Day, but let’s make every day the day that we lend a hand to those in need.

    “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
    – Dr. Seuss

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  2. Join the Fall Food Drive!

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    It’s Thanksgiving weekend!  I hope you are all looking forward to enjoying time and a nice meal with all of your families.

    As I think about the abundance of delicious food that will be set at my table, I also am confronted with a troubling thought.  Many families in our very own community will not have the luxury to sit down to a large dinner with their loved ones.  Many won’t even have enough food to fill their bellies.

    It’s a tough thing to think about.  Thanksgiving is the time of year when we celebrate and are thankful for what we have and the food at our table. But it’s hard for someone to be thankful when they don’t have enough food to eat.

    That is where YOU come in!  Because of the incredible support from caring people like you, many of our neighbours are able to access nutritious food to feed their families.

    As the weather gets colder and we get ready for Thanksgiving, the NYH Annual Fall Food Drive to raise $100,000 and 100,000 pounds of food to provide 300,000 meals for our neighbours in need is in full swing.  Your support will make an amazing difference in the lives of so many families in Toronto.  Just $1 can provide 3 meals. Your small act of kindness today will make a lot of parents and children nourished and happy.  Will you consider helping us reach this goal?

    What can you do?

    Get involved and run a Food & Fund Drive!  It’s so easy to sign up and put together a food drive with your family, coworkers, school, clubs or friends!  Check out this really fun list of ideas to get started.

    If you don’t have time to set up a food & fund drive yourself, donate online or make a food donation at local grocery stores and fire halls.  For a list of where you can donate groceries, please click here.

    Not sure what kind of items to donate?  Here’s a handy list of food items that are in high demand, especially around this time of year.

    The top 5 needed items are:

    • Baby Food
    • Canned fish
    • Canned chickpeas and other beans
    • Cooking oil (personal sized bottles)
    • Soup

    Click here to see what other items are needed most.

    If you are digging through your pantry to find items to donate, be sure that they are not expired.  Items that are past the best before date are accepted.  For more information on expiry and best before dates, check out our blog post.

    You can make a difference in the lives of 13,000 parents, children and grandparents that rely on food banks every month.  It is because of generous people like you that we can make hunger in Canada a thing of the past.

    Let’s make this Thanksgiving a holiday that everyone can be thankful for.

  3. NYH supporters went for a run. You wont believe what happened next!

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    Last fall, a group of North York Harvest supporters met down at Toronto’s waterfront and raised 60,000 meals in a few hours. It was fun, easy, and all they had to do was lace up their running shoes.

    Every year NYH supporters, volunteers and staff have the amazing opportunity to join thousands of community members for a day of fun and exercise at the annual Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon. THIS YEAR YOU CAN JOIN THE MOVEMENT. The event is the perfect excuse to get a group of friends together and have a day out in the sun in support of your neighbours struggling with hunger. And all that fun really pays off! Last year, thanks to your involvement and pledges, we were able to raise $20,000 that went toward providing families across northern Toronto with healthy food in a time of need.

    This year’s marathon, takes place on October 18th. I know, that seems like an eternity from now. But the sooner you sign up, the sooner you can start calling your friends and building an amazing team for the day of the race. It’s a great excuse to connect with an old friend you haven’t seen in while, or spend some time with your work buddies outside of the office.

    The best part about the event is that you don’t have to be Usain Bolt to take part (although, Usain, if you’re reading this, we’re saving you a spot on our team). The race offers a variety of options for all levels of experience; from a 5 km walk all the way up to a full marathon! Whether you’re pushing yourself for a personal best, or dressing up with a wacky group of friends, the day is sure to be a rewarding experience for everyone involved.

    Next steps are EASY!

    1. Contact our run coordinator Leslie (leslie@northyorkharvest.com). She’ll do all the heavy lifting and register your team.
    2. Call all your friends and get them on board. We want this to be our biggest team ever, and we need you to help spread the word.

    No matter your age or endurance level, we promise that joining North York Harvest in the Scotiabank Marathon will be something you, and your friends and family will love. Together we’ll raise thousands of meals for neighbours in need, and have a blast doing it.

    We’ll see you at the starting line!