Tag Archive: Volunteer

  1. Welcome to Oriole Community Food Space

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    Oriole in Photos

    Our Oriole Community Food Space opened in 2013, and it’s been an important hub for community support ever since!

    Nestled in the Oriole Community Centre, the space operates in partnership with Flemingdon Health Centre and Working Women Community Centre. Together, our space fights food insecurity through food support and advocacy while providing wraparound supports for our community. 

    Our Oriole Community

    A man in a red North York Harvest Food Bank apron hands food to a woman holding a grocery bag at a food bank.

    Oriole Community Food Space operates two program days per week, serving 2,610 clients per month.

    • 25% of clients are children and youth
    • 16% are 65+
    • Nearly half (47%) of clients live in 1 or 2-person households
    • In 2025, 36% of clients turned to our food bank for the first time

    Meet Nisha!

    Two people wearing North York Harvest Food Bank aprons stand with their arms around one another smiling, in an outdoor market setting with fresh produce visible.

    Nisha, above right, first joined North York Harvest in 2015 as a volunteer before becoming relief staff. From 2020-2025 she was the Manager of our Albion Library Community Food Space before making the switch over to Oriole.

    “The reality is that it is not only people who are homeless or unemployed who need to use the food bank, which is what I think many people still believe,” Nisha says. “Many of our clients are households where multiple adults are working, yet they are still unable to provide enough food for themselves after paying for other necessities.

    “It is also the fact that not only can people not afford enough food, but that they are unable to access healthy, nutritious food,” Nisha says.

    Healthcare support for food bank clients

    Two people stand at an information booth for healthcare services at Oriole Community Food Space.

    As part of our partnership with Working Women, ambassadors from North York Toronto Health Partners are a regular fixture at Oriole, providing a range of supports with resources, events, and more including:

    • Mobile cancer screening
    • Mobile Dental Bus
    • Finding a primary physician
    • Support with specific client healthcare issues

    Meet Maura!

    A woman wearing a North York Harvest Food Bank apron smiles as she opens a fridge with milk visible inside.

    Oriole Food Space has about 37 volunteers who dedicate their time to making their community a better place for everyone — including Maura!

    “I have volunteered at the food bank for over two years. What I look forward to and enjoy, is that each week is different. I’m usually at the fresh produce/eggs-milk station,” Maura says.

    “I look forward to the familiar faces each week and getting to know them better — their humour and their individual quirkiness. It is also a plus to work with and know the other volunteers who come from many walks of life.”

    Thank you for joining us at Oriole Community Food Space!

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

    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.

  2. Welcome to Bathurst-Finch Community Food Space

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    Bathurst-Finch in Photos

    A volunteer wearing a North York Harvest Food Bank apron holds a crate of fresh food in a food bank setting.

    Welcome to the Bathurst-Finch Community Food Space! It’s North York Harvest’s busiest food space, located in the Westminster-Branson community at the Herb Carnegie Centennial Centre. Follow along to learn more about Bathurst-Finch and the community we serve.

    A person lifts a box of food off of a pile and loads it onto a cart outside a food bank. In the background, someone unloads several more skids from a delivery truck.

    The North York Harvest delivery truck arrives in the morning with food for the week’s programs. In addition to essential non-perishable food received from the community, North York Harvest works with several partner organizations to procure high-quality fresh foods including meat, dairy and produce.

    A bag of potatoes are poured into a wooden bin with shelves of food visible in the background.

    Volunteers get to work unpacking the day’s deliveries onto the shelves and into the fridges ahead of service in the afternoon.

    Bathurst-Finch has three program days a week, serving over 3800 client visits per month.

    A person wearing a grey sweater smiles as they stand in a food bank.

    Bathurst-Finch has a dedicated team of nearly 40 volunteers who help out on a regular basis, including Jesse! Jesse has been with us since September, helping out with everything from client registration to receiving shipments, and helping our community engagement team with advocacy initiatives. 

    “As a person who has required food banks for most of my life, it feels good to be able to provide back to a service that has provided to me,” Jesse says.

    His favourite moment of volunteering so far was attending the Budget Rally in February 2025 at CIty Hall. The Community Engagement team mobilized 60+ food bank clients down to City Hall to attend the rally and hand-deliver petitions to our elected officials.

    A person in a red North York Harvest Food Bank sweater stands smiling in front of a banner that reads Welcome to Bathurst-Finch Community Food Space

    Julie has been working at North York Harvest since 2015, where she began as a student in community social work.

    “I like engaging with clients, you get to meet a lot of community members on different levels – not just inside the food space but in the community itself. 

    “For a lot of our members, this is their only option, it’s no longer a temporary solution. North York Harvest has been doing a lot of outreach at our food spaces to get more community members involved in our advocacy efforts to fight together for change.”

    A person stands behind the counter smiling at a food bank as they serve a client.

    North York Harvest uses a choice model as part of our commitment to dignified food assistance. Our volunteers show clients what is available on the shelves, and clients are able to choose what they would like to cook for themselves and their families. This allows clients to adhere to their own unique dietary or cultural restrictions, and it reduces food waste by not serving community members food they cannot use.

    An older adult is visible from behind as they wait to be served at the food bank. In the background, food bank staff pick food off of the shelves.

    Bathurst-Finch serves a diverse community from all walks of life, including many clients of Filipino and Ukrainian descent.

    Our Bathurst-Finch Community

    • Nearly 20% of client visits are seniors
    • 1 in 4 are children and youth
    • 57% of clients are from 1 or 2-person households
    • In the past 6 months, 25% of clients served were first-time clients

    Rows of canned tuna and canned meat sit on a shelf at a food bank.

    “Like most Ukrainians, we lived very well in our country, not needing anything. Everything was abundant. No one expected a full-scale invasion… It’s very scary to be in another country without even being able to provide ourselves with food. So we are extremely grateful to the food bank for providing us with such support. “ – Diana, client

    Four food bank staff hold various food items standing in front of the shelves at a food bank.

    There’s a reason North York Harvest calls its food banks ‘community food spaces.’ Beyond emergency food support, these are welcoming spaces where clients can connect with one another and build relationships with our volunteers and staff. 

    It’s where they can access wraparound supports for other vital resources like clothing and health services that improve their quality of life.  It’s also where community members, whose concerns are often ignored by those in power, can find platforms to use their voice for change.

    Thank you for joining us at Bathurst-Finch, and thank you to our donors, 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.

  3. Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Müge!

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    Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Müge

    Last year, more than 26,000 volunteer hours were worked at North York Harvest. We are grateful for every person who generously gives their time to

    A woman with long dark hair smiles while sitting at a table and holding a stack of surveys. ensure our community members can get the dignified food support they need. This month, we would like to highlight Müge, one of our newer volunteers who helps out at Lawrence Heights Community Food Space. Whether it’s serving clients or helping to conduct surveys for our annual Who’s Hungry reports, we’re glad she’s part of the team!

    What made you want to volunteer at North York Harvest?

    After moving from Istanbul to Toronto just three months ago, I sought to connect with the community and contribute in a meaningful way. My background in the food industry has always fueled my passion for food and social responsibility.

    In London I was deeply impacted by the initiative to donate unsold pastries to a local charity for the homeless. This experience not only relieved my concerns about waste but also filled me with a sense of purpose, knowing that our efforts helped those in need enjoy quality food. Eager to replicate this positive impact in my new city, I discovered North York harvest and was impressed by its mission and community involvement.

    Have you volunteered elsewhere previously?

    While I do not have extensive experience with regular volunteer commitments, my involvement in humanitarian efforts following the devastating earthquake in Turkey on February 6, 2023, was eye-opening. This involvement was an urgent response to a critical need and helped lay a foundation for my passion for community service.

    Can you describe your experience volunteering at NYH so far?

    My experience volunteering at North York Harvest has been incredibly fulfilling, both personally and for my community.

    Each day, I see firsthand how much the distributed food means to those who receive it. There’s a profound sense of gratitude and relief among the beneficiaries, which deeply resonates with me. Volunteering here has reinforced my passion for helping others. The environment at NYH is one of mutual respect and cooperation; we’re all driven by a shared goal to make a tangible difference in peoples’ lives.

    Every session ends with a sense of accomplishment and a reminder of the positive impact we can have when we work together. Overall, my time at North York Harvest has been an enriching journey that has not only helped me connect with the local community but has also affirmed the value of collective action in addressing food insecurity.

    Four people stand with their arms around one another while smiling at a camera. In the foreground is a table with food items including eggs.

    Interested in volunteering? Check out all of our current volunteer opportunities at  www.northyorkharvest.com/volunteer/

  4. Interested in becoming a Board Member?

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    North York Harvest is looking for candidates to join our dynamic Board of Directors.  

    If you have passion for our vision of a community where all members are able to meet their food needs, this may be the volunteer position for you.    

    Do you have:

    • Experience working in or with government
    • Understanding of poverty reduction and food security
    • Experience or connection to food distribution
    • Strategic planning

    We are seeking candidates for board terms effective February 2020; please note that orientation, including introduction to the Board, will begin as early as December 2019.

    If you are interested in this opportunity, please review the NYH Board Posting.

     

     

  5. “I wanted to make sure others have the same chance I did.” – How Theresa Pays it Forward

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    Asking for help is hard.

    When Theresa visited our Lawrence Heights Community Food Space for the first time, her hands were shaking. “I was so embarrassed to have to ask for food,” she remembers. The single mother was desperately in need of help to put food on her table, but we often hear, Theresa felt ashamed of her situation.

    Theresa’s situation, however, is not unlike the ones many others face in Toronto. “I was new to the city. I came here because I thought I’d be able to find work. But it was harder than I expected.” Because of the generosity of our community, Theresa was greeted warmly by Julie, our Food Bank Manager.

    She walked away with the food she needed and a new sense of belonging. Just like 1 in 3 of our clients, Theresa wanted to “pay it forward”. Even though she was in a time of personal crisis, she was determined to give back so others could receive the same help she had.  She became a volunteer to create a safe, friendly space for her neighbours who were also struggling.

    “I told Julie to call me whenever she needed help – day or night. I wanted to make sure others have the same chance I did. I know this community needs help, so I’m helping in the way I can,” Theresa insists with a shy smile.

    Stories like Theresa’s happen at North York Harvest agencies every day. Emergency food assistance makes life a little better and restores a sense of purpose and hope. People come in for help and find a community.

    Your support makes sure that providing emergency food support is just the beginning of our relationship with people like Theresa. And just like you, Theresa is committed to building a healthier Northern Toronto.   

    Will you join Theresa and give what you can to make sure our community members in need can find healthy food across Northern Toronto?

    Click here to make a financial donation.

  6. Leave Hunger Behind

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    We’re kicking off the 2017 Fall Food Drive and we want YOU to be a part of it!

    Your participation allows us to support food banks, food education programs, community kitchens and more.  These programs not only help people access food but bring people together all year long!

    Leave Hunger Behind this fall

    bank_cash_coin_coupon_discount_money_piggy_sale_save_saving-512Make a Donation

    Cash donations make sure we can purchase the healthy food our community needs when donated food supplies can’t meet the need.  You can even make your own fundraising page to share with friends and family here!

     

    082207-green-jelly-icon-business-cart5Run a Food & Fund Drive

    Get your friends, family and coworkers together.  Be creative and have fun while giving back.

     

    Donate Food

    The best items to collect for the food bank are canned fish, canned beans, canned tomatoes, cooking oil and rice.  

     

    hand-heart-iconVolunteer

    There are many ways to volunteer! Join us in the food bank, warehouse, on the truck, at events or in the office.

     

    conference-512Get Social

    Spread the word on all of your social media accounts.

     

    You can make a difference in the lives of 15,000 parents, children and grandparents that rely on food banks every month. THANK YOU!

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  7. A Family Away From Home

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    Recently, I had the opportunity to visit with the incredible volunteers and clients at the Bathurst Finch Community Food Space.  Located in a tiny room inside Northview Heights Secondary School, the hustle and bustle of getting prepared for the upcoming drop in made the room buzz.  Operating outside of school hours, volunteers make sure the shelves are stocked and fridges full to help community members put food on the table.

    Elis, who manages the food space, treats everyone that enters like family.  Everyone is in this together and a VIP in the eyes of the caring volunteers.

    One of the VIP clients using the food bank is Anna.  Anna has been living in Canada for 11 years after leaving Uzbekistan because she was unable to find work.

    After working 9 years at local Russian grocery stores, Anna had a child named Nikita and found herself out of work in order to take care of him each day.  She had to go on social assistance but unfortunately that wasn’t enough to cover all of her expenses from rent and utilities to food and baby supplies.  She was in a bind.

    While searching for a way to get baby powder and baby food, Anna came to the Bathurst Finch Community Food Space. When she arrived, the helpful volunteers let her know that not only she could receive baby products, but she was also given food for herself.  Anna was amazed by the kindness and generosity that was located right in her neighbourhood. She has been coming to the food bank for the past year now which has helped her stretch her small income.

    To get to the food bank, Anna walks with Nikita in his stroller.  During the harsh winter months, she was unable to take her stroller through the icy and snowy sidewalks and had no way to access the food bank.  Thomas, a volunteer, took the time to drop off food to her home for three months so Anna and Nikita wouldn’t have to go without.  “It was amazing that someone was willing to come and help us out when we couldn’t get around,” says Anna, “the food bank volunteers are wonderful!”

    After Anna’s father passed away, her mother is still living in Uzbekistan alone.  Anna hopes that her mother will be able to join her in Canada so they can be together again.  “If she comes to stay with me, she’ll be able to help take care of Nikita so I can go back to school and get a full time job,” says Anna who dreams of becoming a paralegal one day to support her family.

    Anna would recommend that anyone who needs help in her neighbourhood visit the Bathurst Finch Community Food Space.  “They are so caring and have been so helpful to Nikita and myself. If someone is in need of help they will bring you in and treat you like family.”

    At the Bathurst Finch Community Food Space, it is about more than just putting food on the table, it’s about bringing family to that table.

    Would you like to support people in your local food bank like Anna?  Make a donation here

    Want to join a team of volunteers making it happen in the food bank? Check out our latest volunteer opportunities

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  8. Everyday Hero

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    Guest blog by Shirah Stern

    Not all heroes wear capes.

    One everyday hero located right in your community is Kayla*. I recently had the opportunity to meet Kayla at the North York Harvest Annual General Meeting back in February. We were in a workshop together and she shared her experiences as a food bank volunteer. I needed to hear more so I could share her story with you.

    Kayla has been a volunteer at her local food bank for more than two years dedicating her time six days per week. This is quite incredible as Kayla suffers from many health issues such as a degenerative disk disease in her back, panic attacks, insomnia and is waiting to have knee surgery. This doesn’t stop our hero though; she chooses to work through the pain to make a difference in the lives of her neighbours in need. “If I could have sleepovers here I would!” jokes Kayla.

    Kayla’s tasks at the food bank include receiving deliveries, stocking shelves, serving clients and records management. She even packs and delivers food hampers for the “Fresh Start” program that does home deliveries for seniors as well as those unable to physically make it to the food bank. The services she and her other fellow volunteers provide benefit children, families, seniors, those with disabilities and people who can’t leave their home.

    A typical food hamper from a NYH food bank

    A typical food hamper from a NYH food bank

    Regardless of Kayla’s health problems, she feels that giving her time at the food bank gives her something else to focus on and a purpose. She strives to make a difference in the lives of her fellow neighbours. This can be done through her daily food bank tasks or even going above and beyond to help someone in need. One particular story of Kayla’s is a time that she was able to assist a client with her job search. The client had needed to know CPR in order to be eligible for a job but could not afford the training. Kayla took the time to research and found a course that was offered for free.

    Kayla told me that seeing a smile on the face of someone she has helped is so rewarding in her work.

    It absolutely blows me away when I see this kind of dedication from volunteers. And it is throughout the network! Each day volunteers take time out of their day to come in and help their neighbours meet their food needs.

    Without your support, we wouldn’t be able to have incredible stories like this to share. From you to me, me to Kayla, Kayla to the client and back to you again – we are really part of something bigger than ourselves. I feel that being able to share these stories truly closes the circle of connectivity in our community

    Join Kayla in being a community hero!

    Together we all work as a community to make a difference for more than 15,000 people that access these types of programs each month!

    Donate today!

    Volunteer!

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