Someone gave away a ton of free food in Toronto and people are loving it

People are loving a photo of a ton of free food that was donated to a Toronto neighbourhood, and it's great to see the community love.

Little free pantries are located all over Toronto - and in case you're not familiar - they're basically safe food boxes where people leave food for others in need, to pick up whenever they need it.

"Thank you to whomever absolutely stuffed the Beachdale pantry yesterday," wrote Heidi Tsao, who posted a photo of the pantry to a local Facebook group. "The neighbourhood giveth."

The photo shows a pantry fully stocked with items like pasta, canned goods, condiments and tea.

Tsao tells blogTO that she's aware that there are people that make regular drop-offs at the pantry, including someone who makes a big drop-off about once a week. She figures at the time she took the photo, she was lucky enough to capture a really big drop right after it had been left.

"I happened to catch it when it was full, and it was really full. What I usually do is take some stuff out so that I can distribute it throughout the week," says Tsao. "I also add to it daily with a supply of stuff I get in bulk or on sale. The thought of someone coming all that way and finding the pantry empty really breaks my heart."

As one of the people who watches over the pantry regularly, Tsao is happy to report there's usually at least something in there.

"Different people have taken ownership in the neighbourhood and I've even seen people drive up in their car and unload a bunch [of items]," says Tsao.

"Just yesterday, someone filled the pantry again, this time with a bunch of dog items. I'll be taking them to Mattie's Place, which runs a pet food bank. One of the items was a 6.5 kg box of Milk Bones. At Christmastime, the pantry was super full with three hams over the holidays, plus lots of other goodies."

She says she's happy to give back to the community and help monitor the pantry, and over the past three years, it's helped her realize how privileged she is.

"I truly believe that if we share what we have with people who don't have as much, the world will be better overall for everyone," says Tsao.

The pantry is located on Beachdale if you are in the area and are experiencing food insecurity or would like to leave a donation.