Tag Archive: toronto

1. Spring Food Drive

   March 3, 2017 4:59 am Comments Off on Spring Food Drive

    

   Spring is in the air and our office is buzzing!  Okay, yes I admit, these past few weeks have felt like we’ve experienced all four seasons at once – but trust me… Spring is almost here!

   To celebrate the amazing weather on the way, we are kicking off the Spring Food Drive and we want YOU to be a part of it!

   The Spring Drive is so important for making sure that the pantries are stocked during the warmer months to ensure no one has to go without!  Together we can make sure that everyone meets their food needs! 

   Help us raise $100,000 and 100,000 lbs. of food!  Your support will help more than 15,000 people each month using food banks, meal programs, prenatal/early parenting programs, community kitchens and other vital services throughout the city.

   Getting involved with the food drive is a lot of fun and helps so many people! Just ask Lauren, who has been running food drives for more than ten years!

   

   “I first heard about North York Harvest back in 2005 when I was 14 years old.  A NYH bag came to our house with the local newspaper letting us know how we could help,” says Lauren. “I decided right then to do a food drive. At 14 it was a really cool thing to do. Our first food drive raised 170 pounds and its increased so much since then!”

   

   Lauren and her parents have made food drives not only a family tradition, but a tradition within their neighbourhood.  “I love going door to door to see everyone in the neighbourhood.  A lot of the people I grew up with still give every year because they know that people rely on our help. It has become a real connection to the community.”

   What are Lauren’s tips for running YOUR food drive?

   • It is much easier than it looks and it is much more rewarding too! Its benefits are huge!

   • You need a flyer or brochure – we’ve had the same one for the past 10 years! Update it with suggested items from the website. Click here for some handy materials for your drive!

   • We grocery shop as a family and sometimes with a few neighbours as well –add such items as baby formula, canned proteins. Living in a multi-cultural city and community, we also try to contribute spices and different types of food. Click here for a list of suggested foods to donate

   Over 400 people rely on the food bank EVERY DAY.  You can help!

   What are you waiting for? Sign up today to make a huge difference in your community! 

   

   Looking for other ways to get involved with the Spring Food Drive?

   • Make a donation. Just $10 provides 30 meals!
   • Set up a fundraising page on our website so your friends and family can donate.
   • Volunteer your time. Join us in store, on the truck or at the public sort.
   • Make a donation of groceries in your local grocery store.
   • Connect on social media and spread the word!

   Check out the food drive kit that we put together just for you! It has everything you need to run an incredible food drive!
   

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2. Practicing Food Safety

   February 24, 2017 5:15 am Comments Off on Practicing Food Safety

   You want the best when it comes to the food you eat.  There’s no way you’d want something old, mouldy or funky smelling in your food. 

   

   It’s the same here at the food bank. 

   Food safety is extremely important.  Safety measures are taken into consideration before the food even makes it into the warehouse.  Our hardworking operations team ensures not to bring in food that may be hazardous to members of our community.  Items like this can include damaged items, foods with missing labels and nutritional products that have expired.

   Not only do we want everyone to meet their food needs in the community, we want them to enjoy their food safely.

   Recently Toronto Public Health released a guide on Food Safety in Food Banks and Community Organizations.  This guide makes it easy for all organizations in the food sector to maintain guidelines on food safety and handling. 

   

   Food Safety Measures

   As you may know, we prefer to take non-perishable food items from donations (canned goods, boxed items, etc.) to ensure we can get these items out to the public without safety issues.  But…

   Did you know…

   Even though we are grateful for amazing donations from the community, there are just some items that we CANNOT accept.  These items include:

   • Food products that are not identifiable or that have ingredients that are not identifiable (missing label or label written in a language other than English/French)
   • Partially consumed foods (open packaging)
   • Unpasteurized foods
   • Home preserves and canned items (jams, jellies, pickles etc.)
   • Meats, dairy and other high risk items that are not directly from a processor or store e.g. turkeys that have been in your freezer; you may assure us that that turkey has never been defrosted but because we don’t know that 100% we cannot accept it, sorry!

   These guidelines make sure that people using the food banks don’t get sick from foods they consume.

   

   Did you know…

   There is a difference between Best Before and Expiry Dates.  When it comes to packaged foods the dates can get a little confusing.  Here are some tips to tell the difference between dates.

   • A best before date is simply the promise of the manufacturer that the food in the package will be of highest quality. It is not an indication of food safety.
   • Many times a best before date is not necessary and mostly used to indicate when the quality of food will begin to decrease (a change in taste and texture).
   • The only items REQUIRED to have expiry dates are baby formulas, meal replacements, formulated liquid diets and nutritional supplements. These items must be thrown out past the expiry date as the should NOT be consumed. This is because the nutritional content cannot be guaranteed beyond the expiry date and the nutritional content is very important for babies, the sick and the elderly.
   • We will accept foods up to three months past their best before date because we know that they are safe. However, in order to protect our community members’ dignity we prefer to receive donations of food that have at least 3 months remaining before their best before date.

   

   Food Recalls

   You may have seen food recalls on the news, specifically the latest one about Baby Food.  These recalls affect the food bank and food bank clients. 

   How might a food be recalled?

   • Illness outbreak
   • Food tests identify a health risk
   • An inspection by CFIA detects a safety concern
   • A recall of the item in another country
   • The company initiates a recall
   • Other issues can arise such as food tampering

   Recalls are taken very seriously at the food bank.  These items are removed from our shelves and notices are sent out.  If these items have already made it into people’s homes, we alert them and contact Toronto Public Health.

   

   Ensuring public safety when it comes to food handling and distribution is one of our top priorities.  If you join us for a food sorting session, you will be trained on how to identify the safety of the food you’re sorting.  Remember: When in Doubt, Throw it Out!

    

   To learn more first hand and join us for a food sorting session, click here!

    

   Check out these handy guides on how to inspect YOUR food.

   
   

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3. A Chance to Rebuild

   February 3, 2017 5:27 am Comments Off on A Chance to Rebuild

   

   Guest Blog by Daffodil Davis

   ---

   When you lose everything, where do you turn?

   Each and every day in the food bank I meet people from all walks of life.  Each with their own story to tell.  But even though the story is different, we all have a similar goal in life… to take care of our families.

   I first met Layla when I was working at Oriole Food Space in North York.  She moved to Canada with her family to seek refuge from a home that was no longer safe.

   “Everything was gone. Our home, our jobs, our kids couldn’t go to school anymore. We were scared,” she shared with me.

   She came to Canada and was able to reconnect with members of her extended family already living in our community. Layla and her family were overjoyed with the chance to start anew after a life of uncertainty and fear. “My kids were enrolled in school and my husband was working in a restaurant. It finally seemed as though things were turning around for us.”

   But then the unexpected happened. Her husband suffered a severe heart attack and could no longer work at his restaurant job to support the family.

   Once again, Layla felt like she had lost everything. She had to make sure that her kids had a roof over their head and food in their bellies.  Unsure of how to support her family, she turned to one of her new neighbours for advice.  They told her about her local food bank.  She didn’t even know that such places existed in our community to help her and others in need.

   Because of YOUR support, we are able to help people like Layla to make sure that they have access to nutritious food.  Thank you for making a difference!

   

   _{Daffodil and OFS Volunteers}

   We are also able to help with referrals for other community programs to assist newcomers with their language skills, resume building and child care. 

   Layla had lost many things, but it doesn’t have to mean that it is lost forever. “Because of the food bank, I was able to feed my kids, feel safe and build a new life. I am so grateful.” 

   Together we can help people in need rebuild what was lost.

   As we enter into the coldest months of winter, the food bank shelves will begin to empty.  We need your help to ensure that when families like Layla’s come to the food bank, there will be enough food to share.

   Please give generously today to keep food on our shelves so our neighbours can feed their families. Give today so that this winter none one goes hungry.

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4. An Update on YOUR Impact!

   January 27, 2017 11:07 am Comments Off on An Update on YOUR Impact!

   Each and every year you WOW us with your incredible support to help those in the community who otherwise may go without something to eat.  

   This year was no different and again you went above and beyond in making a difference in the lives of people that use your local food banks.

   Enjoy the Sept-Dec 2016 Review!

    

   

   For a PDF Version Click Here

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5. Hunger Doesn’t Hibernate

   January 20, 2017 3:43 pm Comments Off on Hunger Doesn’t Hibernate

   Hunger doesn’t hibernate and neither did you during the 2016/2017 Winter Food Drive!  Because of your INCREDIBLE support, funds, volunteer time and enthusiasm we raised OVER $250,000 & 250,000 lbs. of food!  

   This means that we can provide 750,000 meals to people that are in need of food this winter.  THANK YOU!

   There were more than 200 food drives in our great city run by families, volunteers, businesses, schools, faith groups, community groups and more. 

   

   Some highlights of the Winter Food Drive include:

   Incredible Employee Engagement

   

   The TRCA has been a community partner of NYH for a number of years but recently we have done more projects and programs together.  All of the TRCA staff are involved in food and fun fund events to support of the work of NYH!  

   They’ve collected food, held raffles and draws, hosted food events and had a great time doing it!

   

   During the winter food drive, the TRCA came in to sort food and also held their annual holiday party in support of providing 5,525 meals this winter to families in our communities.

   Foods from Around the World

   

   Delarie Murphy, Mutsa A Mawora-Lewis and Sarkis Kurkjian are international students from Citi College .  They joined the Winter Food Drive and proved it doesn’t take many people to make a BIG impact.  Hailing from Syria, Jamaica & Trinidad; these incredible students raised 530 lbs. of food!  Not only that but they knew that many people appreciate food that is familiar when visiting the food bank – so they made sure to donate food they enjoy from back home.  Food bank users come from all backgrounds and it is greatly appreciated when they feel comfortable with the food they feed their families.

   Redtastic

   

   The Redtastic team is a group of volunteers that dedicate their time to support Kadian when she runs hundreds of sort groups throughout the year. Jane, Janet, Gord, Sari, Bonnie, Linda, Haley, Steve, Enzo, Laura and Will are always reliable and make a big difference in the warehouse. During the winter food drive they were extremely helpful by providing guidance and support to not only Kadian but to new volunteers. Even when a group isn’t scheduled they will make time to come sort during the slot available. They are incredibly dedicated and we couldn’t sort through all of the donations that make it on the food bank shelves without them!
   

   Biggest Food Drive

   We had a tie this year for the largest food drive.  Schools around the city are huge contributors to the food drives and this year Ledbury Park PS & Faywood ABC both raised an incredible 4500 lbs. of food EACH! That will provide 13,500 meals to the community!

   Families Feeding Families

   

   Michael Bros. Excavating has been a donor to NYH for many years.  A company run by siblings Peter, Tullio and Rosemary; they care deeply about giving back to their community.

   This year they encouraged employees, vendors and contractors to join them in providing food for families in need.  They raised an incredible 2,714 lbs. of food and came by the office 4 times to drop off their donations.

   

   “We are very proud of our employees and brokers and value everyone’s involvement and cooperation. We will definitely encourage our group to once again, collect and drop off non-perishable food in the spring for our Easter Drive.” says Rosemary.

   Thank you so much to everyone that put their time, effort, funds and support into making this the best food drive yet!

   Thousands of people right in your community are able to access the food they need to get by this winter because of YOU! Thank you!

   We are amazed as always by the tremendous support we received during the winter food drive and look forward to sharing a food friendly 2017 with you!

    

6. A Food Friendly 2017

   January 12, 2017 3:11 am 2 Comments

   

    

    

   Guest Blog by Ryan Noble, Executive Director

    

    

   As we get back into our day to day routines after the holidays, I start thinking about the year that has passed as well as what the new year will offer.

   I am pleased to share with you my highlights of the year as well as the plan for the upcoming months – there is a lot to look forward to and I would love for you to get involved in any way you can!

   Some of my favourite highlights of 2016 really represented the mission of NYH, which includes providing dignified food assistance, education and long-term food solutions.

   A New Home for Lawrence Heights Community Food Space

   Lawrence Heights Community Food Space moved into 6 Pengarth Court. This was truly a community-led initiative: a team from Bombardier Aerospace’s nearby facility came in to freshen the place up with some new paint, which made it really feel like a home. We also strengthened our relationships with local Lawrence Heights community agencies as we were back in the neighbourhood. The I’m Lawrence program helped us out with installing ramps and railings to aid with our accessibility issues.

   We have been more involved with LH related community programming, attending community safety meetings, LHION meetings and forums and bringing the perspective of food security to the community agency table.

   The waiting space in the new site is not as large as it was in our previous location, so we created an appointment system to better manage the flow of clients. This allows more dignified food access for everyone, allowing them a private time to use the food bank, one on one time with volunteers and staff as well as safety from the elements as they will not need to wait outside.

   A Growing Partnership

   Since moving into 116 Industry Street, the Learning Enrichment Foundation and North York Harvest have been committed to strengthening our communities through food and education.
   Last year not just one, but two major programs came out of the partnership.

   Child Care Food Delivery
   As a food bank, NYH transports food to those in need throughout the community. It was only a natural step to join LEF in providing healthy meals to children in childcare. Each day LEF prepares meals and snacks for children from low income families that are in daycare while their parents go to work – and NYH makes sure that the meals reach their destination. Over 1,400 children are served daily through this program.

   Logistics Essentials Program
   Building on our mission to deliver long-term solutions to combat poverty, we put in place a new program to provide technical training and personal development to low income individuals. The course runs for 13 weeks in our warehouse serving the immediate needs of food bank clients through training. Each year 48 people will receive skills and certifications all geared towards securing stable employment upon completion of the course. Stay tuned to hear about the first graduating group of students!

   

   Moving forward with LEF, we will continue working together to lift individuals out of poverty in the city.

   Soup’s On!

   In response to the growing number of individuals that need to use a food bank in our city, we embarked on a new project – to ensure we have a supply of quality food for people that are in need. After consulting with our agencies and clients on their specific food needs, we partnered with Foodshare and Foodstarter, and created a new product – a delicious Moroccan-Style Lentil Soup. This soup is suitable for anyone as it is vegetarian, high in fibre and protein as well as low in calories with no added sugars, salts, flavours, colours or preservatives.

   Together with the help of students and volunteers, we were able to produce a first run of the soup that will be sold by FoodShare. For every soup sold, another will be provided to the food bank, ensuring everyone will have access to a healthy, easy to prepare and delicious meal.
   

   Currently we are looking to partner with a school in order to use the soup production and sale process as part of an educational program. This soup program is community oriented, sustainable and provides a long term food solution to the public.

   Letting People Be Heard

   In 2015 the Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy was passed during a city council meeting. The goal of the strategy is to address immediate needs such as housing, transportation and food insecurity. I was able to attend a meeting regarding the strategy with NYH Board Chair, Kerry Mitchell to share the perspective of our clients with the mayor and city council. While we work very hard to advocate on behalf of our clients, we also want to establish processes and forums for clients to advocate on their own behalf and share their stories with our city’s decision makers.

   This year we are putting together a Speaker’s Bureau within the North York Harvest Food Bank network. This will enable individuals that are experiencing poverty or living in poverty and using programs such as food banks to have their voice be heard as well as amplify the collective voice of our clients. We hope that this program will educate our community and provide more insight into the lives of those we serve.

   I am truly looking forward to what we have in store for the upcoming year!

   What most interests you about these subjects? Is there something else that we’re missing? Want to get involved? Let YOUR voice be heard and let me know by dropping me an email at ryan@northyorkharvest.com

   Here’s to a food friendly 2017!

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7. An Amazing 2016

   January 6, 2017 5:13 am Comments Off on An Amazing 2016

   Happy New Year!

   Here at NYH we can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store.  Last year was incredible with many accomplishments and celebrations through the joy of food.

   More than 15,000 people were able to meet their food needs each month because of your incredible support.

   We put together a slideshow of some great 2016 memories to share with you!

   Check out the NYH staff top picks for 2016 here!

   Make 2017 the year you get more involved with NYH! Check out these great ways to be a part of the action!

    

   
   
   
   
   

8. Looking Back at 2016

   December 30, 2016 6:36 am Comments Off on Looking Back at 2016

   2016 has come to a close.  It’s been quite the year, hasn’t it?  Whether you had a great year or can’t wait for 2017 to start, we can all agree that a lot has happened over the past 365 days.

   Here at NYH, there has been a lot of excitement and progress over the past year.  We’ve seen many accomplishments and triumphs thanks to our amazing clients, volunteers, donors, staff and supporters!  We wouldn’t have had such a terrific year without YOU!

   I asked my colleagues in the office, warehouse and on the front lines what their favourite memories of 2016 were and got quite an impressive response!

   I considered doing one of those end of year top ten lists but then realized that I can’t decide which is the best one!  So here, in no particular order, are some of the great milestones, achievements and moments from 2016!

   2016 was BIG for programs, partnerships, feedback and healthy eating!

   Of course I couldn’t start off without saying THANK YOU for providing food to people in our community!  This year we served more than 15,000 people every month and distributed over 2.3 MILLION lbs. of food!

   On top of putting food on the table for our neighbours in need, there were many other exciting things happening this year, including:

   Child Care Food Delivery

   This year NYH partnered with Learning Enrichment Foundation to bring healthy meals and snacks to over 1400 kids in childcare programs throughout the city.

   

   Mission Kitchen

   For 3 months this year, NYH was able to run a community kitchen in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood.  Each week, participants came together to learn cooking skills and enjoy a meal together.  Learn more about Mission Kitchen here!

   

   Food Handling Certificates and Meal Programs

   The Oriole Food Space ran a series of community kitchen programs in partnership with Flemingdon Health Centre and Working Women Community Centre, particularly aimed at Syrian refugees. We trained a group of almost 20 Arabic speaking newcomers in food handling and food safety, necessary skills in securing employment in the food sector.

   

   Soup Production

   This year NYH got into the exciting world of food production! We partnered with FoodShare & Foodstarter to form a unique partnership to produce a soup that would help our community meet their food needs.  With the help of students and volunteers, we were able to produce a dry lentil soup that will be sold through FoodShare’s Good Food Boxes & Grab Some Good pop up markets.  Each soup sold will put a soup on the food bank shelf for someone hungry in the community.

   

   Toronto Star Santa Hampers

   This was first year we were able to distribute a healthier hamper for those receiving the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund Hampers.  Every hamper included perishable items including eggs, cheese, apples and more!

   

   Farm Fresh

   Many of our clients were able to visit community farms in and around the city to see first hand where some of the fresh and nutritious produce that goes to their table comes from.

   

   Client Surveys

   A comprehensive client survey was conducted in our food banks.  Results are being put together now and will be used to guide future programming to ensure clients receive the best service possible!

    

   Logistics Essentials Workforce Development

   Using our warehouse space, we have embarked on a training program for low income individuals to learn skills for the workplace.  Students will learn technical and employments skills as well as receiving certification for Forklift driving, safe food handling and WHMIS.

   

   Lawrence Heights

   Lawrence Heights Community Food Space found a new home at 6 Pengarth Court. LHCFS is also our first community food space to move to the new appointment based model.  This allows clients to have an appointment at the food bank to ensure less wait time, giving them better access to services and supports, and a personal touch.

   

   Staff Training

   Our frontline staff have had extensive training over the past year in non-violent conflict resolution, working in communities that experience gun violence, trauma informed care, food handlers certificates, developing a community of practice, program development, evaluation and implementation

   

   Advocacy Award

   This year we were honoured with the Advocacy Award from the Ontario Association of Food Banks recognizing our efforts towards addressing hunger in the community.

   

   Donor Recognition

   This year we celebrated our donors at Taylor’s Landing.  It was a great opportunity to connect with some amazing people that are helping us provide our services in the community.

   

    Don’t miss the 2016 wrap up video!

   There are so many other great memories from 2016 and this was only just a few.

   Do you have any highlights of the year? We’d love to know!  Leave your memories in the comment section to share your views!

   Here’s to an even more amazing 2017 helping our community meet their food needs!