On September 15, Daily Bread launched its Thanksgiving food and fundraising drive at Nathan Phillips Square. We are grateful to our partners at Purolator and Toronto Fire Services for their continued support, and extend our thanks to the speakers who joined us: Chris Glover, MPP for Spadina–Fort York; Paul Fitzgerald, Deputy Fire Chief, Toronto Fire Services; and Steve Scorca, Director of Operations, Purolator.
Toronto is in a food insecurity crisis. Last year food bank visits in Toronto reached an all-time high of 4.1 million, a 340% increase compared to pre-pandemic numbers.
To ensure no one goes hungry this Thanksgiving season, Daily Bread aims to raise $5 million and 185,000 pounds of food by October 31. The organization is calling on the community to get involved in any way they can, whether it’s by donating food or funds, volunteering, or advocating for poverty-reduction policies.
“One in 10 Torontonians are relying on food banks to make ends meet,” says Neil Hetherington, CEO, Daily Bread Food Bank. “This is the time to band together, not come apart. We are deeply grateful to the community for standing with us as we feed the need now and call for social reforms to ultimately reduce food bank visits.”
As part of this year’s Thanksgiving efforts, Daily Bread and Purolator will partner for the eighth year in a row on the Toronto Purolator Tackle Hunger® Red Bag campaign. On Saturday, Sept. 19, 20,000 Red Bags will be distributed in neighbourhoods around the city for residents to fill up with non-perishable food donations. Aiming to raise 30,000 pounds of food, equivalent to 30,000 meals, this initiative is part of the Purolator Tackle Hunger National Red Bag Campaign, which supports families facing food insecurity across Canada.
“For more than 20 years, Purolator employees have gone the extra mile to help those facing hunger in the communities where we live and work,” said Cindy Bailey, Vice-President and Corporate Sustainability Officer, Purolator. “We’re grateful to Daily Bread Food Bank for its continued partnership and shared commitment to supporting our neighbours in need.”
The public is encouraged to participate in the Thanksgiving drive. Here’s how you can help:
