City
Toronto Soup Kitchens and Food Banks
Toronto soup kitchens and food banks are especially busy this time of year as they juggle their standard operations with special offerings designed to share the seasonal festivities with the city's marginalized. And with the economy on shaky ground for most of the past two years these organizations are reporting significantly increased usage alongside a decline in donations.
Want to help out? Here's just a sampling of Toronto soup kitchens, food banks and other organizations that need donations and volunteers to ensure everyone in Toronto gets the opportunity to be fed and festive this holiday season and beyond.
Good Shepherd Ministries offer food, shelter, clothing and more to anyone in need. They report they're serving 50% more meals this year than they did in 2008, while food drive donations have decreased. The most urgently-needed items are food and personal hygiene supplies - details can be found on GSM's Wish List (PDF). Monetary donations also make a big difference in keeping the programs running and the lights & heat on for the long Toronto winter.
GSM is already heavily booked with volunteers for the holiday season, but encourages Torontonians to make a New Years resolution to volunteer in 2010. Volunteer opportunities include making beds, sorting food, helping in the kitchen, folding laundry, and working in the drop-in. Jobs involving contact with clients have an application process that can take a few weeks, but for jobs like making beds and folding laundry, simply call and book one of the available time slots. To volunteer, fill out an application online, or contact Rebecca at (416) 869-3619, ext. 262.
North York Harvest Food Bank's winter food drive is on until January 4th. Financial contributions can be made online through CanadaHelps.org or by phone with a credit card by calling 416-635-7771. Nutritious, non-perishable food items can be dropped off at local fire halls in northern Toronto and participating supermarkets. This season, North York Harvest is offering holiday cards for purchase in packs of 5 or 10 (for an additional cost you can have them personalized!). Cards can be ordered by contacting Mary Del Bianco at 416-635-7771 ext. 21.
North York Harvest Food Bank also relies on volunteers in a variety of roles, including general reception duties, greeting the public, entering office data and filing, sorting food, driving and assisting drivers for donation pick-ups, and helping plan and run special events. To help out, contact Lisa Anderson, Manager of Volunteer Services at 416-635-7771 ext. 29.
The Salvation Army's main focus during the Christmas season is two-fold: toys and cash. The cash donated in the Christmas Kettles, online, by phone, text or in the mail is used to help those in need all year round, including Christmas. It helps clothe, feed, counsel, and house. The Salvation Army gives Christmas food hampers with food collected and also uses gift cards to grocery stores, so that people can feel good about buying their own food. To donate, visit www.salvationarmy.ca, phone 1-800-SAL-ARMY or text "Hope" to 45678 (a $5 donation will be added to your bill).
During the holiday season, some Salvation Army shelters will need servers and people to prepare the eating area. They also need volunteer Bell-Ringers, to stand at their kettles (you can also create a virtual "iKettle"). To volunteer, contact your local Salvation Army, or call Salvation Army's the volunteer coordinator at 416-321-2654.
The Stop Community Food Centre
The Stop Community Food Centre offers a full spectrum of programs and services designed to increase food access and education, as well as a sense of community and civic engagement. Initiatives include everything from community kitchens and gardens, cooking classes, drop-in meals, peri-natal support, a food bank, outdoor bake ovens, food markets to community advocacy. To volunteer at the food bank or drop-in, contact Volunteer Coordinator Susan MacDonald at the coordinates listed here.
The Stop is running a "Gifts that Matter" campaign this holiday season. By making a $25 donation, you can purchase a food hamper for a family in need on behalf of someone on your Christmas giving list. Contact Danielle@thestop.org with the name(s) of the people you'd like to honour and for every $25 donation The Stop will send them a card saying that you've done so. To ensure card delivery prior to December 25th, your list of names should be submitted no later than December 14th.
The Yonge Street Mission had over 189,000 visits to their various programs and services in 2009, serving everyone from families trapped in the cycle of poverty, immigrants struggling in a new country, lonely and shut-in seniors, socially marginalized adults to homeless street youth. During the holiday season, the YSM food bank continues to distribute most-needed items, along with seasonal fare like chickens, turkeys, halal foods, cookies and other treats. YSM also hosts Christmas parties and banquets for the groups they serve, and coordinates the delivery of hampers filled with food/gifts to seniors and shut-ins. To see what items are most needed this holiday season, check out YSM's Holiday Wish List (PDF).
Holiday volunteer opportunities (PDF) are booking up fast! YSM needs people in a wide variety of roles, including receiving and sorting food, greeting and assisting food bank clients, helping with YSM's annual ornament sale fundraiser, and preparing, serving and cleaning up after YSM's various Christmas parties and banquets. Visit the YSM website for a full list of volunteer opportunities, details on how to get involved, or to make a monetary donation. Volunteers can also contact Ruth Pentinga at 416-929-9614 ext. 4236.
The Fort York Food Bank is well covered by their regular volunteers and corporate groups for the holiday season, but will be needing volunteers early in 2010 for their annual TTC Blitz. Watch the Fort York Food Bank website and newsletter for volunteer opportunities, which may be in any of the following areas: advocacy & counselling, graphic design & advertising, food sorting, community kitchen, special events, telephone reception & administration, computer resource centre, community garden and the FYFB Board of Directors. Fill out an online form to start the process.
Second Harvest's annual Turkey Drive campaign is on this weekend! The goal? To raise 6,000 turkeys and $60,000 for people in need. Last weekend they hit the 2,000 mark for turkeys and $15,000 in donations (to see how donations are used, click here). Visit one of the following Loblaws stores Saturday, December 12th or Sunday, December 13th between 9am and 6pm to help them hit their target!
* Leslie & Lakeshore - 17 Leslie Street
* Moore & Bayview - 301 Moore Avenue
* Queens Quay Market - 10 Lower Jarvis Street
* Victoria Park & Gerrard - 50 Musgrave Street
* Yonge St. & Yonge Blvd. - 3501 Yonge Street
* Dupont & Christie - 650 Dupont Street
You can also contribute to the campaign by donating online or calling 416-408-2594.
Second Harvest is also running a holiday eBay auction. 100% of the net proceeds will help to feed hungry children and families, allowing Second Harvest to pick up and prepare excess fresh food and deliver it daily to hundreds of social service programs.
Daily Bread Food Bank's holiday food drive is on from November 27th until January 4th. You can donate online, call 416-203-0050, or drop off non-perishable food donations to your local fire hall, Loblaws or Metro.
The most urgently-needed food items are: baby food & formula, canned fish & meat, peanut butter, canned fruits & vegetables, lentils & beans, powdered, canned or Tetra Pak milk, tomato sauce, dried pasta, cans of soup or hearty stew, and rice.
Most of these organizations will help arrange a pick-up if you have a contribution for their donation drives, so don't get discouraged by the logistics! This list is by no means exhaustive - to find out more, you can look up other local food banks here and community kitchens here.
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http://www.salvationarmy.ca/positionstatements/
It is a Christian organization, and as such it is pro-life, anti-euthanasia, anti-gay, and anti-porn (WHY??). Give your money and toys to somebody else.
ELMO: sure the Salvation Army has 'position statements' but I think its not about THEIR position, but the positionnnnnnnn of those who are IN NEED.
Peace~!
food banks and soup kitchens serve an immediate and urgent need, i don't think they displace the larger societal responsibility of helping people be self-sufficient through education etc
it's sort of related to the comments above re the salvation army...i strongly disagree with their views, but i still think they're doing good so long as they're fighting hunger and helping the poor...wouldn't you rather people be religious than starving?
also they say on the website that those views aren't binding, but they are guiding principles
http://www.vegfoodbank.ca/
"The Stop’s Drop-in also offers services in partnership with other agencies – including an ID clinic, housing and legal services, a settlement worker and dietetic counseling. We also offer workshops on tenants’ and employment rights and food demonstrations on how to make low-cost, healthy, delicious meals."
The Good Shepherd Centre is similar -- they have a drug & alcohol recovery program, a resettlement service, a medical clinic, etc.
Those are just a few examples off the top. But in general, I would guess that these organizations probably understand better than most that in order to truly help people who use their services they need to address the root causes of poverty, not just the symptoms.
The least you could do is suggest a non-religious alternative but apparently your priority is to disparage a charity over feeding the poor. Good for you.
I am interested in doing a news story on the Salvation Army.
could you contact me?
averyhaines@mac.com
thanks
hoping you will contact me about a story I
want to put together on the salvation army.
contact me at averyhaines@mac.com.
So here is a meal calendar and map: http://torontomealprograms.blogspot.com/
Compared to Toronto's restaurants, these meals are healthier and tastier, the service is faster and friendlier, even the clientele is less irritating than the average Drake Cafe crowd, and seriously if you have cash, come by, eat for free, and drop a donation on them. You won't get rolled for not being broke or cracked out enough.
I am turning 14 this October and would like to volunteer in a charity organization but I do not know if they will accept my (because of my age). If you know any organizations I can volunteer in would you please email me.
Thank you
and i want to volunteer at a soup kitchen;
i think itll be fun and its just another way for me to help out in this community (Y)
i live in scarborough; but i dont mind traveling downtown.
so could you email me where and when i can volunteer at a soup kitchen, or ANYTHING !
miss_elzinie@msn.com <-- thats my email :)
thank you
ps call or send a emial
thank you
ps call or send a email us
They're not like that because they're Christian. Every other place I go to for free food is Christian and the Sally Anne folks are the only ones who love to hate. What about the United Church on Wright Ave and their Sunday dinners? They're TOTALLY out there. And the Good Shepherd is SO CHILL, all sorts of people show up and take part, and I haven't even seen any patrons gaybash others.
we may be able to help you!
peace...
I guess my point is, the more we give the more some can take, I can afford today a meal, so does the soup kitchen know that or can I eat for free today. That's the basic point. There is a need, some take advantage and some are driven by organizations trying to do that right thing, but they as well receives grants, local funding, they own used item stores, sell bread, etc. Some will argue the smaller organizations often pay themselves quite well to do this "godly" work.
In Canada go goggle Charity listing returns' type in a church or food bank, or check by status, revoked charities, etc....you will see the bigger picture.
We must teach to fish, etc, etc.
Okay: it's a hassle to get to a specific place, to show up within a very small margin of time, in order to wait in line for food that you do not choose pretty much filters out those who can afford the convenience of eating out or buying their own food.
And I keep hearing about how these places probably make tons of cash and it's a big cash grab and I'd like to see some proof of that because that's a pretty serious (and dubious) contention. So bite your tongue or put up some data.
Every single person who shows up to these programs truly needs it. After three years of relying on these, on a daily basis, I can say that I have never seen one person in line for these soup kitchens who seems like they could go out and buy themselves some groceries and make themselves a nice lunch... so I don't want this "smart-asses working the system" image to gain any momentum.
People on welfare go to these things because they spent their "basic needs" money on their rent, and they spent their "transportation" money on their utilities, because welfare includes only about $350 for rent AND utilities, and calls anything above that "high rent." We all know that $480/month inclusive is NOT high rent. These programs fill in for what emergency services gloss over and ignore.
Her name is Debbie. We have not had contact for at least 15 years.
She is 50 years old as of January 9th.
5'5" tall. Brown/grey hair. I was told she pushes a baby stroller around.
Please contact me if you have any information
Kathy 705-627-9298
I'm an 18 year old student and I took the year off to make money for university next year. I'm looking to volunteer at a soup kitchen for a month or two before september... I'm interested in going to medical school and -when finished -using my skills as a doctor to help the needy. :) Looking to get my foot in the door for a couple of months! :)
If you are associated with a soup kitchen in toronto and know I'd be a help, please email me! :)
brittney-elizabeth@hotmail.com
When I see two pan handlers my area I am torn. Do I give or call in when it is below zero? If it were me I'd want to be left alone but I know intervention can turn someone's life around. One homeless person wants to be left alone, the other is actively soliciting and bragging about his big income. I am an antique person on my way to work part time which I love better than any job I have had prior. It is never too late to find peace and happiness and simplicity.