Every day, thousands of Torontonians rely on food bank donations to meet their basic nutritional needs. While there are many ways to support Daily Bread, financial donations provide the greatest impact, helping us provide nutritious food and respond quickly to the growing need across Toronto.
Scale of the crisis:
4.1M
Food bank visits in Toronto
(Apr 2024 – Mar 2025)
340%
Increase since pre-pandemic levels in 2019
More than
1 in 10
Torontonians now rely on food banks (up from 1 in 20 three years ago).
25%
of clients are children (1 in 4).
Daily Bread Food Bank supports 200+ food programs with fresh and nutritious food they couldn’t access on their own – ensuring nutritious meals reach individuals and families across Toronto. Our clients range in age, ethnicity, occupation, and educational level, but they have two things in common: they’re our neighbours, and they need our help.
Food insecurity affects more families than you might expect, and the need is growing. The most recent available data (from 2025) show that 24% of people in Canada live in households experiencing food insecurity, a deeply troubling figure representing nearly 1 in 4 Canadians. Quebec reports the lowest provincial rate at 18%, while Nunavut records an alarming rate of 56.4%. Although recent policy initiatives promise improvements, food bank donations remain critical to ensuring members of our own community don’t go hungry.
More neighbours are being pushed into poverty due to insufficient wages, inadequate income supports, unaffordable housing, and the rising cost of living. This also includes people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, new immigrants, and teens aging out of foster care. Our 2025 Who’s Hungry report revealed that 53% of the Daily Bread’s clients missed meals so they could pay for other essentials like rent, utilities, and transportation.
53%
of Daily Bread’s clients missed meals so they could pay for other essentials like rent, utilities, and transportation.
96%
of Daily Bread’s clients indicated cost of living is one of the top three reasons for their most recent visit to the food bank.
Food insecurity isn’t just about getting enough food: it’s about getting food that nourishes, energizes, facilitates growth and development. Many families can’t afford the high cost of nutritious food. When you donate food to Daily Bread Food Bank, you’re giving families more than calories; you’re giving them high-quality nutrition that builds, protects, and sustains.
One in four food bank clients are children. Hunger makes it extremely difficult for them to focus in school. It impairs memory concentration, leading to poorer academic performance and increasing the likelihood that they’ll repeat grades or drop out entirely. Your monetary donation to Daily Bread ensures that children go to school ready to learn and engage with their classmates, improving their educational, developmental, and social outcomes.
Seniors comprise 10% of all food bank clients in Toronto. Living on limited incomes, many face rising costs for essentials like rent, utilities, transportation, mobility aids, and in-home support. For some, this means being forced to choose between food and other basic needs. Your food bank donation helps older adults access the nutritious food they need to live with dignity in their later years. As Canada’s population ages, more seniors may need this kind of support.
The majority of food bank clients are aged 19 to 44, including students. Young people in our city are struggling to get a solid footing. With your food bank donation, these residents fare better and make progress toward their goals.
No one expects to need a food bank. Most food bank clients just need help getting through a difficult period. Job losses, medical emergencies, and evictions can and do happen to everyone; a food donation in Toronto gives community members a chance to get back on their feet without having to worry about affording food.
With your monetary gift, the Daily Bread kitchen also produces over 250,000 meals every year, including meals distributed in partnership with the Red Cross Mobile Food Bank, which supports individuals not able to access traditional food programs due to health or other challenges.
Monetary donationsHost a fundraiserSend a giftFood donationsFood drives
The easiest and most impactful way to help is with a monetary food bank donation. Financial contributions allow us to:
You can make a one-time donation to help meet our immediate needs or become a monthly donor to provide ongoing support that helps us plan more effectively and respond to needs as they arise throughout the year.
You can donate money on your own behalf, to honour a friend or loved one, or as a memorial to someone whose life you want to remember. Donations of negotiable securities are also welcome, as are legacy gifts. Visit our Ways to Give page to make an online donation today.
As a registered charity (Charity Number 11888 1549 RR0001), we can issue official donation receipts for eligible monetary gifts.
We will email you a donation receipt. Please retain it for your records, as it may be required to substantiate your charitable contribution for tax purposes, subject to applicable law.
Use our interactive map to find the nearest drop-off location for your food donation.
Your food bank donation makes a measurable difference.
You can also support the Daily Bread Food Bank and families experiencing food insecurity by:
Volunteer at our Community Food Hub by helping to sort, pack, prepare, and distribute food. To volunteer at your local food bank, find them here and contact them directly about their volunteer opportunities.
Advocate for change by supporting policies that address the root causes of food insecurity in our city. Keep an eye on the news and on social media for information, and visit our advocacy page regularly for updates.
We accept both food and financial donations:
According to our “Most Needed” list, these food bank donations are most important:
These items are helpful because they’re shelf-stable, nutritious, and can help stretch resources.
Daily Bread Food Bank supports over 200 food programs with fresh and nutritious food that they currently would not have access to due to capacity, storage, sorting, quality control, and the ability to repack or relabel bulk donations. We unlock opportunities to ensure food can reach individuals and families across Toronto by managing the logistics, storage, quality assurance, and redistribution.
Yes. As a registered charity (Charity Number 11888 1549 RR0001), we can issue official donation receipts for eligible monetary gifts.
For donated food items (in-kind donation), the process for tax receipting may differ. Please email us at [email protected] or call 647-905-7922 for the specifics.
Monetary gifts provide flexibility: we can purchase items based on real-time needs, respond to price increases, and cover logistics, storage or warehousing costs. For example, we distribute millions of pounds of food annually through our network, and cash allows us to fill gaps that donated food may not cover.
Donated foods are sorted at our Community Food Hub in Etobicoke and distributed through our network of over 200 food programs across Toronto. We strive to provide healthy, culturally appropriate and nutritious food options.
We accept fresh/frozen items through special programs (e.g., our “Farm to Food Bank” initiative), but only when logistics & storage capacity are confirmed ahead of time. Please email us at [email protected] or call 647-905-7922 first if you have fresh/frozen donations.
There are many options:
You can reach out via the “Contact Us” page on our website. For large‐scale donations, email us at [email protected] or call 647-905-7922 to discuss details, logistics, drop-off spot, and timing.
For questions about hosting a fundraiser or food drive, please email [email protected]
Yes. We take donor privacy seriously and do not sell or trade personal information. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.
Single one-time gift receipts:
If you donated online: An automated tax receipt is issued immediately to the email address provided on the donation form. If you cannot find your receipt, please check your email’s spam or junk folder. You can also access the donor portal to download your tax receipt.
If you donated by phone, mail, or in-person: Tax receipts are issued within two to three weeks. During the busy holiday season, it might take a bit longer.
Monthly donor receipts:
A single cumulative tax receipt covering all monthly and one-time donations made during the calendar year will be issued by mid-February of the following year. Receipts are either emailed or mailed according to our records.
Missing tax receipts: you can contact the Daily Bread Food Bank directly to have your tax receipt re-issued:
Electing to cover the transaction costs ensures that the full amount of your donation is allocated to support food programs. Donors who do not wish to cover these costs may deselect the “Cover transaction costs” option prior to submitting their donation. Transaction costs consist of applicable credit card processing fees and platform service fees associated with online donations.
If you donate through our website:
You can update your contact information directly through our secure donor portal: https://dailybread.donorsupport.co.
Alternatively, you can contact us directly by phone or email (details below).
If you donate by mail or phone:
To update your contact details, mailing address, email, payment information, or communication preferences, please contact us by:
Please include your full name and the information you wish to update so we can process your request promptly.
All information can be found here.
Click here to learn how you can choose Daily Bread as a beneficiary in your will.
Every donation helps a neighbour in need. Together, we can ensure no one in Toronto goes hungry.
