Volunteers like Nicole Gauthier are essential to Daily Bread Food Bank’s operation, without them, we would not be able to distribute food to the tens of thousands of Torontonians who are currently experiencing food insecurity.  

Nicole first came to Daily Bread as part of a group of volunteers during the 2019 Christmas season. It was a busy, demanding time, but that is an environment that Nicole thrives in.   

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, and Daily Bread was in desperate need of volunteers, Nicole answered the call. Her job had recently been restructured, and she was able to commit to volunteering four days a week.  Since then, Nicole has done everything from sorting food to kitchen prep to picking orders from the warehouse. But it is at our on-site food bank where she now spends most of her time, helping to organize food stock, supervising other volunteers, and making sure our clients are served and that they get the things they need.   

And while volunteers enable Daily Bread to carry out our mission, volunteering has also given Nicole a sense of purpose and helped to connect her to the community.  

“Giving your time is a way to have more compassion and kindness for others and learn about situations clients are going through. It’s amazing how a little bit of kindness goes a long way, especially during the pandemic. Many clients know they could not have gotten through this time without the support of the Daily Bread community, and they are very grateful.”  

We are deeply grateful to volunteers like Nicole, and hundreds of others who have joined our mission this past year, for their dedication and tireless contributions to the fight against hunger.  

To learn how you can get involved, please click here.