North York Harvest Food Bank

It was a real honour to meet Loren, the person who started the organization that I have dedicated much of my career to and which I have grown to love. We all stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us and we at North York Harvest Food Bank are no different. Even as we have moved and changed, his spirit and that of his team are still woven throughout the fabric of the organization. We all know that food banks aren't the solution to systemic challenges like food insecurity and poverty. But critics often miss the very beautiful role that organizations like North York Harvest Food Bank embody - that of real people doing what they can to respond to those challenges and help other people in their community. As Loren mentions, there were other ways he thought about spending his time but he decided - like thousands of others have done since - to take up the difficult work of food banking. My time with Loren was an important reminder that even when so many things feel broken, there are many people, who often go unheralded, who are willing to roll up their sleeves to help their neighbours that might be struggling. When we marshal that energy collectively real change is possible. That is a true legacy. Thank you Loren!

Thanks for the shout-out! Unlike traditional supply chains driven by profit, FoodReach operates on a mission-first model: Every decision, every delivery puts food security first. 💯 Revenue from FoodReach also supports North York Harvest Food Bank's operations. This creates a sustainable cycle that strengthens the non-profit sector as a whole AND builds community wealth. Learn more about our mission and how to partner with us at foodreach.ca

📣 Join our social enterprise as an integral member of the FoodReach team!

Over the past year, community care was essential ❤️ North York Harvest served 316,500 client visits last year, nearly a 10% increase and yet another record-breaking year. Our food bank network and the communities we serve have been pushed to the brink amid a relentless battering of affordability issues - housing, food and inflation - compounded by low wages and social assistance rates On top of all of this, we had a devastating flood and power outage hit our warehouse in July that caused thousands of dollars in damage and thousands more in lost perishable food. Nearly everyone in our city is feeling the affordability crisis to some degree. That’s what made the overwhelming response to this disaster all the more incredible. Our phones were ringing off the hook after word got out about our warehouse: Compassionate people stepping up any way they could to ensure we could continue serving our community. All of us taking care of each other during times of crisis. The spirit of food banks is neighbours helping neighbours, and this year has taught us that now, more than ever, we need to be connected with each other. Through this connection comes mutual care, collective action, and long-term solutions. Read our Annual Report to learn all that we accomplished together last year. Thank you for making this work possible! https://lnkd.in/gGqfAEzx

Well said Caliyah! And a huge thank you to everyone from BLSA Osgoode - for caring for our community. It does make a difference 💓

This donation from Future Fresh Farms is so fresh, its still growing! North York Harvest Food Bank was thrilled to receive a generous donation of live, hydroponically grown lettuce. Partnerships like this help us go beyond emergency food relief, ensuring people have access to high-quality, healthy food. A huge thank you to Future Fresh Farms for their commitment to food security and sustainability. Together, we’re building a stronger, healthier community—one fresh harvest at a time!

Join North York Harvest for a food-sorting event that blends team-building with community care! ❤️ We welcome corporate and community groups year-round to join us at our warehouse to sort and package essential food donations for distribution. What to expect: 🍅 Learn more about food insecurity and how North York Harvest supports nearly 30,000 clients each month 🍅 Build teamwork within your group 🍅 Make a difference in your community Sound fun? Contact Judith Reda at judithreda@northyorkharvest.com to book your event! Spaces are filling up for 2025 so book your spot soon! 🏃 #nyhfb #ForOurCommunity #Volunteer #TorontoVolunteer #GiveBack #CSR

This victory in advocacy will ensure more life-saving meals are delivered to the city's most vulnerable populations. ps. our social enterprise FoodReach is now on LinkedIn! Follow us there to learn more about how we're providing vital support to meal programs across Ontario.

A key pillar of North York Harvest's mission is focused advocacy. That means speaking out about what we know as an organization, but also providing a platform for the voices of our community to say what they know, and including their expertise in our advocacy strategy. Our Community Action Group recently got together for an Art Build event to make signs and posters for upcoming demonstrations to send a strong message to decision-makers about the issues that are impacting them every day. While brainstorming sign ideas, rent control and social assistance rates were among the top issues our community members say are impacting their ability to meet their food needs. Look out for these signs at upcoming rallies as our community continues to mobilize for REAL change!

Two months after the City of Toronto declared food insecurity an emergency in Toronto, North York Harvest collected hundreds of petition signatures, sent dozens of letters and gave deputations to urge every City Councillor to pass a city budget that puts people first.   Last week we mobilized a delegation of 60+ people from our community food banks to bring our issues to the front steps of our decision-makers and put them on notice. Working with our community and partner organizations we called for the City to fund a budget that works for ALL of us - here's what we won:   ✊ TTC FARE FREEZE   ✊ INCREASED FUNDING FOR TENANT SUPPORTS This year we won increased funding to the Toronto Rent Bank, RentSafeTO and the Tenant Support Program.   ✊ EXPANDING THE SCHOOL FOOD PROGRAM Nearly 1 in 3 food bank users in our network are children. That’s why we worked with Mayor Olivia Chow to expand the school food program to more schools this year - even some city-run day camps - with the eventual goal of making school food universal.   ✊ MORE FUNDING FOR DROP-IN MEAL PROGRAMS Meal programs in drop-ins across the city are serving Toronto’s most vulnerable, and the demand is growing faster than we can keep up. With the help of Councillor Alejandra Bravo and Councillor Shelley Carroll, ICD.D, we were able to win an additional $810,000 to the Creating Health Plus Budget, so drop-in centres are able to purchase additional food for their meal programs.   ✊ BUILDING COMMUNITY WEALTH Thanks to Mayor Olivia Chow we were able to secure that public investment into the school food program, which supports community wealth building, good local jobs and strong local economies by prioritizing social procurement.   We’re so proud to stand with our community and mobilize for real change. Together we are strong! #nyhfb #ForOurCommunity #Advocacy #TOPoli