Last year I turned 50 and to celebrate I ran my very first half marathon at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon/Half-Marathon.

Last year was also the year I started to do some volunteer work. I’d been thinking about doing something for some time, but just didn’t seem to get around to it. My mom has done a lot of volunteer work since she retired and was an inspiration in this direction, but I wanted to get started now.

My partner and I have always donated to Daily Bread Food Bank and so it seemed a natural fit. When I saw they were looking for volunteers for their annual survey, I thought it seemed right up my alley. And so I called, took the training and headed out.

I’d have to say that both experiences have been a journey.

I thought I had a pretty good sense of who used food banks and why but completing the surveys with food bank clients was quite an eye opener. The efforts that many clients must put forth simply to feed themselves is truly inspirational.

As for running, the most I had ever run before was 10 km and that was way back in my 20s. So every distance over 10 km was a first last year. And I learned that when I set a physical goal, I could achieve it.

Last year it was just for me, but this year I wanted to do more.

So I began fundraising for an organization I wish didn’t have to exist – Daily Bread Food Bank. I wanted to let people know that not only does Daily Bread use donations to provide healthy food to those in need, they also conduct research, push governments for change to help our most vulnerable and offer information and support to ensure their clients are cared for.

If you have signed up to run in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, but haven’t chosen a charity to run for, you can still fundraise for Daily Bread! Click here to find out more.

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is on Sunday, October 14th this year, and runners from across Toronto are running and raising money for Daily Bread Food Bank. Didn’t know you could run for the good of your health and your community? You can! And it’s not too late either. There are still spots in the full marathon. Register by clicking here . Our Top 10 fundraisers will receive a refund on their registration ($90 value). If running isn’t your thing, then support someone who is running for Daily Bread! Click here to donate to Catherine’s fundraising page.