As Thanksgiving approaches, nearly 200 volunteers gathered at Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank over the weekend to come together in a collective effort to sort and pack food for families facing hardship across the city.
Neil Hetherington, CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank, expressed deep gratitude for the dedication and commitment of the community of volunteers, emphasizing the importance of food as a fundamental human right. Hetherington stated, “With the help of our volunteers, we can ensure that food is efficiently packed and distributed to those who need it most.”
Daily Bread Food Bank has faced an unprecedented surge in demand, with over 12,500 new individuals seeking assistance from the food bank each month, compared to a pre-pandemic figure of 1,000 people.
Volunteers play a crucial role in addressing this surge in demand. The food bank stated in a news release that “Volunteers are essential in helping us meet this emergency need.”
This year, Daily Bread has set a goal of raising $3.8 million and collecting 102,965 kilograms of food to respond to what it has termed a “crisis” level of demand.
Among the volunteers was Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, who joined the efforts to pack and sort food on Saturday. She expressed gratitude for the contributions of the volunteers while also voicing her frustration with the ongoing need for food assistance. Chow remarked, “When I’m sorting, I get very grateful for your contribution. I also get really angry and say ‘Well, you know what, [it] shouldn’t be like this. Let’s be angry about the situation but remain hopeful we can make a difference.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also participated in the event, acknowledging the current challenges faced by many in the community and emphasizing the government’s commitment to providing more affordable housing in the province. He remarked, “It’s very tough right now. Times are tough. We have to build more attainable and affordable homes so that people can have a roof over their heads.”
Aamna Syed, a volunteer at the food-sorting event, shared that the experience held a special meaning for her, as it marked the anniversary of her mother’s passing. Syed’s family of 10 all joined in the Thanksgiving weekend food-sorting effort to honor her mother’s legacy and support those less fortunate.
As the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) experiences a 51% increase in food bank visits compared to last year, the Daily Bread Food Bank is urging the public to support their Thanksgiving food drive through donations of food or money and volunteering. Hetherington concluded, “We’ll continue the fight. We’ll continue to make sure that everyone’s right to food is realized, and we’ll continue to feed the need now.” The Daily Bread Thanksgiving drive will run until October 31.