Make the Season Kind (MTSK) – CBC Toronto’s annual holiday campaign in support of food banks across the GTA – galvanized thousands of listeners, raising $908,267 alongside food and awareness, and helping ensure people could access food and critical supports during the holiday season and beyond.
Live Show Day: A City Comes Together
On December 5, CBC Toronto hosted a full day of Make the Season Kind programming, injecting the campaign with energy, community spirit, and a shared commitment to ending hunger.
CBC’s Metro Morning broadcast live from the Glenn Gould Studio, featured conversations that highlighted the growing urgency of food insecurity in Toronto and encouraged listeners to take action. The morning also included live musical performances by TOBi, Jeremie Albino, and SHEBAD, adding joy and momentum to the day.
A special holiday edition of That’s Puzzling, hosted by Piya Chattopadhyay, brought thoughtful conversation and lighthearted moments to the day, while keeping the focus on food insecurity in Toronto. Daily Bread CEO Neil Hetherington joined the show to share insights on the scale of need across the city and the importance of collective action—reinforcing why Make the Season Kind matters now more than ever.
Celebrations continued throughout the day in the CBC Atrium with the Make the Season Kind Holiday Market, where local vendors, CBC hosts, and community members came together in support of the campaign.
The spotlight remained on food insecurity through a special live, in-studio edition of Here and Now, while audiences at Union Station enjoyed a live concert from Jordan Astra.
Bank Challenge: Teamwork in Action
Daily Bread hosted its annual Bank Challenge, welcoming teams from BMO Financial Group, CIBC, RBC, Scotiabank, and TD for a high-energy afternoon of friendly competition.
Working side by side, bank teams sorted and packed 24,294 pounds of donated food for distribution to Daily Bread member agencies across the city. Each participating bank also contributed $30,000 to the Campaign— equaling 150,000 meals for families facing food insecurity.
Thank you to our bank partners for their enthusiasm, generosity, and continued commitment to supporting neighbours in need. Congratulations to RBC, this year’s winning team, who held on to their title for the third year running.
CBC School Challenge: Learning Leads to Action
The CBC School Challenge invited elementary classrooms across Ontario to explore food insecurity through age-appropriate lessons and hands-on projects.
Delivered in partnership with CBC Toronto, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, Daily Bread Food Bank, and Feed Ontario, the challenge encouraged students to connect classroom learning with real-world issues.
Across grade levels, students demonstrated empathy, creativity, and a strong understanding of food justice through thoughtful projects that reflected a desire to make their communities kinder.
Winners of this year’s CBC School Challenge include:
Primary Schools:
Junior Schools:
Intermediate Schools:
To our partners at CBC, participating schools, bank partners, performers, volunteers, and every donor who gave what they could — thank you for helping make the season, and the city, a little kinder.
While the holiday season is over, hunger doesn’t stop. To help provide emergency food services to neighbours in need, please consider donating today.
