ALPHA HEART KIDS FOUNDATION: Food Bank Toronto

FOOD BANK TORONTO

United Way

This blog is all about the resources and references of Food Bank Toronto. The topic that every Torontonian Community must learn and know when, where and how to avail the food for free when they go to the Food Bank Toronto. How food banks in Canada work—and why there's necessarily. The Inflation is affecting us spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally.

With rising unaffordability and income inequality in Toronto and the GTA, food banks are needed more than ever.

“What is food insecurity? It’s many things. It’s parents who skip a meal once a week so their kids can eat,” says Rasheeda Qureshi, executive director of Seva Food Bank in Mississauga. It’s also people who have to choose between buying groceries or paying their rent on time. It’s anyone who doesn’t know how they’ll get their next meal—and that number is growing.

According to the 2019 Who’s Hungry Report by the Daily Bread Food Bank, there were more than 1 million visits to food banks in the Toronto region between April 2018 and March 2019, up four per cent from the year prior. So, if you’re asking if food banks are really necessary, the answer is yes—more than ever.

Here’s what you should know about food banks in Canada, including how to donate what’s needed most, as well as how to access support when you need it.

What’s a food bank? Why are food banks important?

A food bank is a nonprofit organization that collects safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food, and redistributes it to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

Some food banks act exclusively as distribution centers for their member agencies. Daily Bread, for instance, supplies nearly 200 food programs across Toronto. Other food banks, including Seva, are on the frontline, giving directly to people in need.

Why are food banks needed? Access to food is a human right, but as long as poverty exists, food insecurity will, too. As Qureshi explains, if you’re living below the poverty line, at some point you’ll likely be unable to access sufficient, healthy food due to financial constraints. Many Seva clients are people on fixed incomes, like seniors. Many others work, trying to make ends meet on $14 an hour (Ontario’s minimum wage)—a daunting challenge in the Toronto area, where affordable housing is increasingly scarce.

Where do food banks get their food? How do food banks work in Canada?

Food banks get provisions from a lot of different places. In some cases, they may purchase some of what they need, in addition to securing food donations through individuals, farms and, significantly, corporate partners.

The charitable organization Food Banks Canada, for example, supports its network of more than 640 food banks and 3,000 food agencies by getting supplies from national retailers, like Loblaws and Walmart. Through this program, local food banks receive about 13 million pounds worth of fresh, frozen and non-perishable foods a year. There’s an eco-upside, too: the system reduces food waste for grocery companies.

How do I find a food bank near me?

If you’re wondering how to get food from food banks in Toronto and the GTA, the first step is to figure out which one serves the catchment area you live in. Here’s one easy way: use Feed Ontario’s Find a Food Bank online tool and enter your postal code or address. Formerly the Ontario Association of Food Banks, Feed Ontario covers a network of 130-member food banks. Also, if you visit a food bank that doesn’t serve your catchment area, you’ll typically be given a referral to one that does.

How do I qualify to use a food bank?

If you’ve never used a food bank before, you likely have a lot of questions. Here are answers to some common ones:

Are food banks free? Yes, as a resource for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of poverty, access to food banks is free.
Who can go to food banks? Can anyone use food banks? They’re designed for people who need help putting food on the table, but the criteria for who’s eligible isn’t strict. At The Stop in Toronto, a United Way-funded agency that was one of Canada’s first food banks when it opened in the 1980s, community services coordinator Mike Taurozzi recognizes first-timers may feel anxiety and he strives to put them at ease: “I’m not going to send anybody away without food.” The same goes for Seva: “We will serve you if you want to be served and feel like you need the service,” says Qureshi. “For most, it is a terribly difficult decision to use a food bank. People have told us they’ve sat outside in the car for hours, mustering up the courage to come in.”
What do I need to get food from the food bank? Food bank requirements on your first visit typically involve filling out an intake form. Expect to provide ID and proof of address. You will be asked for personal information, which will be kept confidential, such as your income and expenses as well as how many people are in your household. If you’re uncomfortable sharing your income, you won’t be forced to, says Qureshi. “There’s no requirement one way or another,” she explains.
What do food banks give you? What you get at food banks in Canada, and how often you can use a food bank, will vary by the specific organization. The Daily Bread Food Bank’s member agencies, for example, provide two to three days’ worth of food, based on the size of the family. Seva gives seven to 10 days’ worth of provisions, once per month, to their clients.
Find A Food Bank | Feed Ontario
Getting more food to food banks

Moving food across Ontario is not an easy feat. With the collective effort of our network of partners, volunteers, and member organizations, we move more than 7 million pounds of nutritious food to all corners of the province each year.
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ABOUT FOOD BANKS CANADA

Canada’s most vulnerable made almost 1.5 million visits to food banks in March 2022 alone*

Food Banks Canada provides national hunger relief and prevention leadership in

collaboration with the coast-to-coast-to-coast food bank network:

In the past decade, we’ve sourced and shared almost 1.4 billion lbs of food.
We have the support of 4,750+ food banks and community agencies who come together to serve our most vulnerable Neighbours.
We have distributed 31+ million lbs of food from April 2021 to March 2022.
(Source: * From our 2022 HungerCount Report)
OUR HISTORY
Kraft Heinz is a proud partner of Food Banks Canada. Over the past
Through community programming, like Kraft Hockeyville, Kraft Heinz,
he has contributed more than $8.7 million in funding to
203 communities since 2006, four years alone,
Kraft Heinz has provided more than $18 million
in financial and food support to communities
need across Canada.
Website: Home | What's For Dinner (kraftcanada.ca)
PARTICIPATING PRODUCTS