Tag Archive: toronto

  1. Our 2025 Year in Review

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    Our Top 10 Moments of 2025!

    2025 was a year of many firsts for North York Harvest Food Bank. Faced with record-breaking food insecurity and poverty year after year, our organization continues to build on our commitment to being more than a food bank, and more than a neighbour’s last resort. 

    It was hard to narrow it down, but here are the Top 10 Moments at North York Harvest in 2025 — each one made possible by all of us working together to make our community a better place for everyone.

    1. Improved our Leadership in Logistics Program

    Four people hold graduation certificates and smile in front of a backdrop for North York Harvest Food Bank

    We know full-time employment is a springboard to stability, but it’s often not the end of the story. That’s why, starting this year, graduates of our Leadership in Logistics program had the opportunity to continue working with North York Harvest to build on their success using the Sustainable Livelihood Model.

    This model helps identify other areas, including health and basic needs that require additional support in order for people to thrive in our community.

    Our staff will work with graduates to offer support with referrals and resources including healthcare services, housing, and more.

    2. 40 Years of North York Harvest Food Bank

    A large group of people, of diverse cultures and ages, wearing North York Harvest Food Bank gear pose for a group picture in front of a large light-up 40 sign

    It started with our founder Loren at a Blue Jays Game asking a simple question: What happens to all the hot dogs that don’t get sold? 

    From that question sprang an idea: That everyone in our community should be able to meet their food needs. Over 40 years, countless individuals would join together to build on that mission because they saw hunger in their community and decided to do something about it.

    This year North York Harvest Food Bank turned 40, and we celebrated in our brand new space at  4048 Chesswood Dr., with over 1,000 past and present staff, volunteers, donors, and community members stopping by to commemorate the day!

    3. We Launched Our Most Ambitious Campaign Yet

    North York Harvest Food Bank launched Crisis to Catalyst: A $6 million capital campaign to build a new 30,000+ square-foot Community Food Hub that will redefine what a food bank can be, and ignite a powerful shift in how we address food insecurity.

    4. Get Out the Vote!

    Three people wearing North York Harvest gear stand in front of BBQs preparing meat at an outdoor event.

    There are many barriers stopping people from making it to the ballot box, from not having a fixed address, to not having enough money for transportation to the polls.

    So North York Harvest held a Community BBQ to Get Out the Vote ahead of the federal election!

    Over 600 people attended, with free transportation taking attendees to the polls to cast their vote. We also shuttled over 100 clients from our Community Food Spaces to the polls, and ensured no one was turned away from exercising their right to vote.

    5. Our Community Fought for Change, and Won!

    A large group of people stand outside at a rally at City Hall in Toronto. Many are holding protest signs about affordability, and there's a large banner for North York Harvest Food Bank.

    Two months after the City of Toronto declared a food insecurity emergency in Toronto, we collected hundreds of petition signatures, sent dozens of letters and gave deputations to urge every City Councillor to pass a city budget that put people first.

    On the day of the Toronto City budget deliberation, we brought 60+ people from our community food spaces and joined with other community organizations to rally outside City Hall. Afterwards we hand-delivered our petitions to elected officials, calling for:

    • The expansion of the School Food Program
    • More funding for drop-in meal programs
    • More funding for renter supports
    • A TTC fare freeze

    Together, we won all those things!

    6. Strengthening Community Roots at Albion

    A person wearing a bucket hat holds out an article of clothing at an outdoor clothing bank event.

    This year our Albion Food Space partnered with a mobile clothing bank and we launched our first green market at this space, bringing affordable produce to clients through our social enterprise, FoodReach, all summer long!

    Thanks to a grant from Toronto Public Library, we were able to sell fresh fruits and vegetables about 40% cheaper than the grocery store, improving food access for our Rexdale community.

    7.  Partner Agency Conference

    A large group of over 20 people pose for a group picture with a large banner for North York Harvest Food Bank.

    This summer we held a conference with our network of partner agencies and drop-in meal programs supported through Creating Health Plus that became a powerful day of community, learning, and shared purpose.

    It was an opportunity to connect with one another through discussions and workshops around food access, advocacy, and community development.

    8. Providing More Fresh Food

    Four people smile as they all hold a large donation of fresh lettuce at North York Harvest Food Bank

    As grocery store prices continued to soar in 2025, fresh foods became even more out of reach for many of our clients.

    Thanks to some incredible community partners, this year fresh produce and milk became two of our Top 3 most-distributed items! As of November 2025, we have provided more than 165,000 lbs. Of nourishing milk to our clients —  15% more than last year!

    9. FoodReach Grows, Again!

    Our social enterprise FoodReach continued to drive impact in the food access sector this year.

    With the expansion of the Student Nutrition Program in Toronto, FoodReach grew from providing healthy food to 38 schools, up to 81! To support this growth, we expanded our infrastructure with a new truck, and two new staff.

    As FoodReach continues to grow, we’re purchasing more food, which supports local businesses and creates employment opportunities, helping to keep money and jobs in our community. The revenue from FoodReach also supports North York Harvest’s operations; creating a long-term food solution for our sector and building community wealth!

     

    10. Notice North York

    People stand outside Queen's Park in Toronto holding a large banner that says Queen's Park on NOTICE.

    Poverty and hunger in North York have gone unnoticed, underfunded, and underestimated for too long. This year, we launched NOTICE: A community-powered movement fighting inequality and building lasting solutions to hunger and poverty. Supported by North York Harvest Food Bank, NOTICE supporters have a collective voice that can’t be ignored.

  2. This is FoodReach

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    A person in a North York Harvest Food Bank delivery truck hands a box of food to a person standing on the ground.

    Do you know about North York Harvest’s social enterprise, FoodReach?

    FoodReach lowers food costs for nonprofits, improves food access for thousands of Torontonians, supports local producers, and generates sustainable revenue to strengthen North York Harvest’s mission.

    By pooling the collective buying power of hundreds of schools, shelters, and community organizations, FoodReach purchases nutritious food in bulk from local suppliers and passes those savings directly to the frontline programs feeding our city.

    Watch this video to learn all about the impact of FoodReach!

  3. Read our Fall Gratitude Report!

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    The affordability crisis continues to push our city and our sector to the breaking point.

    But we have an incredible community of people who see this crisis every day and take meaningful action to make a difference.

    Supporters like you who refuse to accept 30,000 people in their community don’t have enough food for themselves and their families every month.

    Together we are working to meet the immediate needs of our community today, while fighting the root causes of food insecurity to build a stronger, more equitable tomorrow.

    From March-August 2025 we:

    • Distributed 1.2 million lbs. of food across our network
    • Provided space for our community members to have their voices heard and fight for change
    • Celebrated 11 Leadership in Logistics graduates, who gained full-time employment with benefits at Canadian Tire
    • Helped non-profits across Ontario keep food costs low to nourish more people through our social enterprise FoodReach

    …And so much more.

    Because of you, we can meet these challenges head-on, ensuring that nourishing food and long-term solutions remain within reach for everyone.

    Read about your incredible impact!

    Four people hold graduation certificates at North York Harvest Food Bank.

  4. Our community put Queen’s Park on NOTICE!

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    An older woman gives a speech at a rally with a North York Harvest Food Bank banner visible in the background.

    The cost of living is skyrocketing out of control while wages and social supports fall far behind – trapping more people in poverty every day.

    Our community decided they weren’t going to go unnoticed any longer.

    On Thursday, October 23, hundreds of people from food banks, drop-in centres, meal programs, community organizations, and disability justice and housing advocates took over Queen’s Park to demand a rent freeze, raising the minimum wage, and higher social assistance rates.

    “People like me get notices all the time. Notice of late payment, notice of arrears, notice of layoff, notice of eviction — even notice of insufficient funds when we try to pay our groceries” says Goldie, a long-time client and supporter of our Lawrence Heights Food Space.

    “But instead of fixing the cracks in the system that too many of us are falling through, our government has allowed them to grow even bigger. So we put them on notice: We won’t be ignored any longer.”

    Eight buses from across the GTHA, including from each of our Community Food Spaces, brought hundreds of individuals to the doorstep of our decisionmakers to have their voices heard.A hand-drawn sign that describes someone finally getting an apartment but it's full of pests and mold. The landlord says if they don't like it, they can move out.

    A life-size installation of the board game Snakes and Broken Ladders was displayed before the Legislative Assembly, with each square representing a crack in a broken system.

    North York Harvest Food Bank supports 30,000 food bank clients per month. We provide all the numbers and data on food insecurity through our annual Who’s Hungry Report, but we wanted to help create space for the people behind those numbers, whose voices, too often, go unnoticed.

    Fight for a city for all of us. Join North York’s movement to put the drivers of hunger, inequality, and unaffordability on notice. Be part of a collective movement that won’t be ignored. Join noticenorthyork.ca.

    Queen’s Park ON NOTICE was co-organized by North York Harvest Food Bank, ACORN Ontario, Campaign for Adequate Welfare and Disability Benefits, DJNO, Fair Rent Ontario, FMTA, Income Security Advocacy Centre, Justice For Workers, ODSP Action Coalition, Raise the Rates Coalition, Social Planning Toronto, York South-Weston Tenant Union, and the Weston King-Mount Dennis Neighbourhood Centre.

  5. Food for Thought: How local procurement builds community wealth

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    Food for Thought: How local procurement builds community wealth

    In our Food for Thought series, individuals within North York Harvest Food Bank will share their experience in matters pertaining to food insecurity and poverty. This series will share ideas, perspectives, and lessons learned as we work toward our vision of a community where all members are able to meet their food needs.

    Written by Lianne Holland, Senior Manager of Social Enterprise and Community Wealth

    When meeting with first-time FoodReach customers, I’m often asked, “How is it that you get the cheapest prices on food?”

    The short answer is, we don’t.

    Because FoodReach is a non-profit food supplier to the community food sector, there tends to be an expectation that we will sell food at bargain-basement pricing. But we take a different approach to procurement. 

    Consider for a moment the food in your fridge Hands are visible picking out produce including eggplant at an outdoor green market.

    • Is it filled with food that nourishes you?
    • Does it meet your cultural and dietary preferences?
    • Is the food fresh? 
    • Did you buy it from a store you can rely on to stock what you need?
    • Can you get similar foods cheaper elsewhere, but you’re more concerned with quality over price?
    • Where did it come from?

    These are all of the same questions we ask ourselves when we’re building FoodReach’s catalogue. We want to leverage economies of scale to lower food costs for our customers, and we want to create a long-term food solution.

    Part of creating a long-term food solution is sourcing quality, nourishing, culturally relevant food from reliable suppliers we can count on, so our sector can count on us. 

    But how can we make our impact even greater? That’s where our Community Wealth Building mindset comes in. We’ve been focusing a lot on the question: “Where does the food come from?” 

    At any given time, FoodReach’s catalogue sells a minimum of 50% locally sourced products. This fluctuates to a higher number seasonally as a result of the supply and demand of produce. The more we’re procuring products from the local economy, the more we’re strengthening our community because it’s creating jobs. 

    A basket of eggplant is on display at an outdoor market.

    Sourcing locally also makes our supply chain more reliable, and less susceptible to disruptions like we are seeing with this year’s tariffs, and back in 2020/2021 with the pandemic. 

    And as we make big plans for our future Community Food Hub, we’re looking at how we leverage our resources further to strengthen and support local, small businesses by supplying warehouse space and connections to a consistent demand from our customers. 

    When we look back in our fridges, not only are we nourishing ourselves, every purchasing choice we’re making is positively impacting other people’s lives so they can nourish themselves, too.

  6. Welcome to Albion Library Community Food Space

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    Albion Library Community Food Space in Photos

    A shipping container is painted with illustrations of various canned goods.

    Albion is our smallest Community Food Space—but it still has a big impact in the Rexdale community!

    During the pandemic in 2020, many food banks shut down to maintain public-health protocols. Toronto Public Library (TPL) stepped up to ensure people could still get food support by setting up outdoor food banks across 9 TPL locations.

    North York Harvest Food Bank worked with TPL to open a distribution site in the parking lot of Albion Public Library. The pandemic restrictions eased, but the need in the community soared as the affordability crisis worsened.

    Today, we continue to partner with TPL to run our Albion food space out of two shipping containers, serving 2,400 client visits every month.

    Despite its size, Albion is an important hub of support and community connection.

    Our Community

    Two people are seen from behind looking at an information board titled Community Info.

    We hold two community food programs every week, serving individuals and families in the Rexdale area.

    Our Albion food space serves a large number of seniors, newcomers, and single-parent families.

    • 31% of clients are children and youth
    • 49% of clients are from 1-2 person households
    • In the past 6 months, 25% of clients have been new

    Meet Chashma!

    Chashma is the new Food Space Manager of Albion, but she’s been working with North York Harvest since 2023, when she started as a volunteer.

    “Something I’m happy to see us do as an organization is implement our own clients as ambassadors for our Albion Food Space to support the community engagement work we do,” she says. “I think a key part in our mission, and what we are fighting for, can only be pushed forward by the voices of our own clients and community members.

    “I am happy to learn how important this influence is at North York Harvest, and happy to be a part of our mission.”

    Community Partnerships

    FoodieFest

    A group of people wearing red North York Harvest Food Bank aprons hold various fruits and vegetables at an outdoor market.

    Every June North York Harvest participates in Rexdale Community Health Centre’s Foodie Fest, which draws hundreds to the Albion Library for live entertainment, information on community resources, and, of course, food.

    We purchase fresh produce through our social enterprise FoodReach and distribute it to our community, which has become a huge hit!

    From You to Them

    A person puts clothing onto a hanger at an outdoor mobile clothing bank.

    Clothing is a big need among our community members, but taking transit to a clothing bank can be a barrier for clients. This year we’re grateful to partner with From You to Them – a mobile clothing bank that comes to Albion once a month.

    The Career Foundation

    Two people sit at an information table outside, the tablecloth reads The Career Foundation.

    The Career Foundation joins us in the summer to help reduce barriers to employment in our community. Every week, they’re onsite to provide information on free workshops, resources, and employment opportunities.

    Summer Green Market

    A person wearing a hat with a smiley face on it, and a North York Harvest Food Bank apron serves green onions to a customer at an outdoor market.

    For the first time this year, we launched a green market at Albion to make healthy food more affordable for everyone! 

    Similar to the green markets at our Bathurst-Finch and Lawrence Heights food spaces, we order fresh produce from FoodReach and then sell it at cost to our community.

    Thanks to a generous grant from Toronto Public Library, we were able to lower food costs even further.

    On average, our Albion community paid 40% less for fruits and veggies than they would at the grocery store!

    Meet Leila!

    Three people wearing red North York Harvest Food Bank aprons smile in a food bank setting.

    Leila (left) is a placement student from Northern College in Timmins, and she’s been volunteering with us since the beginning of September.

    “Working at North York Harvest Food Bank has been nothing short of incredible, I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” she says.

    “It’s been fulfilling, challenging, it’s been enlightening … food insecurity does not discriminate, that’s something that has been a huge eye opener for me since I started working here – it could impact any one of us.”

    Thank you for joining us at Albion Library Community Food Space!

    Eight people wearing North York Harvest Food Bank hats and aprons make the peace sign together at an outdoor market.

    And thank you to our donors, community partners, staff, and volunteers who help make this critical work possible every day.

    Together we are working toward our vision of a community where all members are able to meet their food needs.

  7. Commemorating 40 years of community care

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    A crowd of people mingle in a large warehouse during an event at North York Harvest Food Bank.

    On Friday August 8th, we celebrated our 40th anniversary by opening the doors to our soon-to-be home at 4050 Chesswood Drive!

    Throughout the day, 1000 attendees showed up to tour the space and reflect on what four decades of community care has meant for North York.

    We were delighted to welcome past and present staff and volunteers, community partners, and donors who have each contributed to transforming North York Harvest into what it is today.

    A group of people stand in front of a wall with a timeline in the shape of interconnected honeycombs, weaving together pictures and text.

    Guests followed a timeline of our progress from the moment they walked in, with photos and milestones capturing four decades of food served, voices heard, dignity preserved, jobs created, connections forged, and real change fought for every single day.

    North York Harvest Food Bank would not be possible without the generosity, passion, and dedication of our community. 

    We thank everyone who joined us to commemorate our past and look to the future at our most transformative chapter yet: A Community Food Hub that will reimagine what a food bank can be, and redefine how we fight food insecurity.

    But we can’t do it alone. That’s why we recently launched a bold $6-million capital campaign that will turn an empty warehouse into a vibrant hub of food distribution, workforce development, and social enterprise.

    Support this campaign to help create real, lasting change that will be felt for generations.

  8. It’s been one year since the flood

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    What we learned and what we did after the flood

    Empty shelves can be seen inside of a walk-in freezer.

    A North York Harvest Food Bank box floats in a giant puddle.

    It’s been a year since North York Harvest Food Bank faced one of the biggest challenges in our 40-year history.

    On July 16, 2024, a torrential downpour hit Toronto. Nearly 100mm of rain fell in just three hours, leading to massive flooding and blackouts across the city.

    At North York Harvest, our loading docks flooded, rain poured into the warehouse, our delivery truck was damaged, and our freezer broke.

    The power outage caused us to lose a significant amount of fresh, refrigerated food intended to nourish our community — at a time when we were already running low on essential items.

    Between the food and damages to our infrastructure, North York Harvest was faced with a devastating $50,000 loss.

     

    But thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our community, we were able to rebound quickly to continue providing emergency food support to individuals and families in need.

    Many of our partner agencies were also reeling from the flood. Because of the support we received, we were able to help our network with water damage repairs, and purchase new fridges and other equipment to ensure they could run community food programs safely again.

    A Community Victory

    A group of people sit around a table at North York Harvest Food Bank while a person at the front of the room leads a discussion and writes on a whiteboard.

    We knew it wasn’t if we would flood again, but when.

    North York Harvest worked with our partner agencies, residents, and community organizations to discuss the effects of the flood, and how we could move collaboratively toward solutions.

    We were joined by then-Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who amplified our concerns and supported our call for long-term solutions in a letter addressed to the prime minister.

    On August 30, 2024, an investment of $323-million from the City of Toronto and the federal government was announced to bolster the Rockcliffe-Smythe area against future flooding!

    A dozen people stand for a group picture in front of a North York Harvest Food Bank backdrop.

    Looking Ahead

    In reality, the flood was a wake-up call.

    This disaster made it clear that North York Harvest had outgrown our current space at 116 Industry St. — a place we have called home since 2015.

    In 2015, we supported over 13,000 clients every month, now we serve 30,000 — a 130% increase.

    On top of this, our social enterprise FoodReach supports 175 essential drop-in meal programs, food banks, school snack programs and other non-profits in delivering affordable food to communities that need it most.

    Our warehouse is bursting at the seams with insufficient freezer, refrigeration and dry storage space, while we’re grappling with a leaky roof and broken equipment.

    All of this is hindering North York Harvest’s ability to operate at full capacity and compromises a critical supply chain that supports 30,000 clients every month.

    A Bold Path Forward

    A rendering of the new North York Harvest Food Bank Community Food Hub to be opened in Downsview.

    We can’t hold our breath every time it rains, and we can’t meet the rising needs of our community in our current space.

    That’s why North York Harvest has launched a $6-million capital campaign to build a 30,000 sq ft. community food hub that will reimagine what a food bank can be.

    We’re building a home for our community that can nourish thousands, provide stepping stones to stability, and power innovation and long-term solutions.

    It will allow us to distribute more food, create local jobs, and build long-term solutions to food insecurity and poverty in our city.

    What we learned from the flood

    In times of crisis, community care is crucial: Compassionate people stepped up any way they could to ensure North York Harvest could continue distributing emergency food.

    When we fight for our community, we win: Residents and community organizations have been raising the alarm bells about flooding for years. Together we made change happen.

    Turning a crisis into a catalyst: The lease in our current space is ending, our infrastructure is failing, and the City of Toronto declared food insecurity an emergency. Instead of losing hope, we’re meeting the moment in the most transformational chapter in North York Harvest’s history. Join the movement today!