On October 22, Daily Bread Food Bank hosted our 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM). It was an important opportunity for our member agencies across the city to come together, reflect on the past year’s challenges, achievements and renew our shared commitment to ending hunger in our city.
We were honoured to be joined by two inspiring keynote speakers: Mayor Olivia Chow and activist and author Desmond Cole.
For the third year in a row, Mayor Chow joined Daily Bread in our AGM. In her heartfelt remarks, she highlighted the power of community action and acknowledged the vital role Daily Bread and our network of member agencies play in supporting Torontonians through difficult times.
“To every agency, everyone of you here, staffers and volunteers, board members, community leaders, thank you,” she said. “Thank you for meals you pack, for the neighbours you welcome, for the strength you carry, even when it is hard. Toronto is a better, more caring city, because of you.”
The mayor also shared progress the city has made in addressing the root causes of hunger, including increasing access to affordable housing, one of our key advocacy pillars. We are also proud to have worked alongside the City on their commitment to a universal school food program, ensuring that no child goes hungry and students across the city get the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
Desmond Cole delivered a powerful address on justice and equity, urging us to see food insecurity as a symptom of broader systemic inequality. His words reminded us that addressing hunger requires both compassion and courage to break down systemic barriers that push people deeper into poverty.
Over the year ending in June 2025, there were over 3.7 million client visits to Daily Bread member food banks — an increase of 300,000 visits compared to the previous year, and nearly triple the number from just five years ago.
To meet this surge in demand, Daily Bread distributed over 37 million pounds of food across the city, including fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, and dairy — nutritious foods that are often the hardest for families facing food insecurity to afford.
None of this work would be possible without the dedication of our member agencies, volunteers, donors, and supporters, as well as the leadership and guidance of our Board of Directors.
At this year’s AGM, our members also elected two new board members: Dr. Eileen de Villa and Michael Messenger.
Dr. Eileen de Villa served as Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health from 2017 to 2024. In this role, she led Toronto Public Health, the largest local public health agency in Canada.
As a public health physician, author, professor, and public figure, Dr. de Villa was at the forefront of public health efforts and interventions in Toronto for the last eight years. This includes guiding the City’s COVID-19 pandemic response (which included the largest vaccination campaign in Toronto’s history); the response to the ongoing drug toxicity crisis; and public health policy considerations for city planning, emergency preparedness, and disease prevention and control.
Michael Messenger is a non-profit leader, lawyer, and educator with more than 30 years of experience advancing humanitarian and social impact causes. From 2015 to 2025, he served as President & CEO of World Vision Canada, one of the country’s largest charities, where he led efforts in fundraising, advocacy, program impact, and team leadership to improve child well-being and respond to poverty and injustice around the world.
Michael is the Founder and Principal of PurposeWay Leadership, a consulting practice focused on coaching, governance, and strategy for mission-driven leaders and organizations. He also supports the Executive MBA program at Ivey Business School at Western University, where he has taught courses on sustainability and responsible governance.
Read our Annual Report to learn more about the impact we made and be inspired by the stories from our member agencies, partners, and supporters.
