Our Impact

Age	Census 2021	Food Bank Users
0-19	19%	28%
20-44	39%	42%
45-64	26%	22%
65+	17%	9%

Household Type	Census 2021	Food Banks
Single Individuals	33%	44%
Couples / No Dependents	20%	13%
Single Parent	10%	16%
Two Parents	23%	20%
Other	14%	6%

Self-identified Race/Ethnicity	Census 2020	Food Banks
Arab, Middle Eastern or West Asian	4%	8%
Black	10%	18%
East Asian	13%	10%
First Nations	1%	3%
Latin America	3%	9%
South Asian or Indo-Caribbean	14%	13%
Southeast Asian	8%	10%
White	44%	27%
Mixed	2%	2%

Based on client food bank visits between April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, tracked in Link2Feed.

Based on the client food bank visits between April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, tracked by clients’ postal codes, where available, in Link2Feed. (Note: tenant and drop-in food programs do not register clients through Link2Feed so are outside the scope of this geographic analysis.) The percent change was calculated by comparing to the same months in 2020-2021. Population data from the 2021 Statistics Canada Census.

• After rent and utilities are paid, food bank clients have a median of $8.01 left per person, per day, to pay for food and all other necessities. This is a drop from last year’s median of $9.17 per day.
• Food bank clients report a median annual income of $12,732 – nearly 50% below Canada’s official poverty line.
• The median for racialized people is $7.75 per person, per day. Those who had arrived in Canada within the last year have $3.81 per person, per day.
• 69% of food bank clients were paying at least half of their income on housing, putting them at risk of homelessness.
• 18% of clients were paying 100% of their income on housing costs.

Daily Bread is a member-based organization providing food to 193 food programs at 128 agencies across Toronto, including: food bank programs; meal, snack, tenant, breakfast and pre-natal programs. Click here  to learn more.

Daily Bread provides a variety of training programs to our network of member agencies, including safe food handling, information and referral services, crisis prevention and anti-oppression practices.

In addition, Daily Bread provides information and referrals to connect clients to services such as dental and vision care, mental health, housing supports, newcomer settlement services, employment supports.

Operating from our distribution center at 191 New Toronto Street, the Community Meal Program provides nourishing, warm meals to families and individuals experiencing hunger, and those who may not benefit from traditional food bank service due to lack of access to a kitchen, cooking tools, or other barriers to food preparation. Alongside a nourishing dinner—and as part of a rights-based approach to service—this program also provides information and referrals services for guests who experience hardships beyond hunger and would benefit from additional resources relating to housing, employment and more.

Conducting in-depth, timely research is critical to Daily Bread Food Bank’s mission. Our advocacy strategy focuses in four key areas:

1. Tackling deep poverty: Ensuring no one faces long-lasting, persistent poverty.
2. Affordable housing: Ensuring a safe, affordable, adequate home for all.
3. Economic and social resiliency: Ensuring resiliency to long-term chronic stresses (e.g., mental health, disability, social isolation) as well as acute shocks (e.g., job loss, eviction).
4. Food Access: Ensuring that people have access to affordable, culturally appropriate, nutritious food.

Each year, Daily Bread develops key research projects to advocate for systemic change to end poverty. Here are a few highlights:

• Who’s Hungry 2022
• Impact of social policy report from the University of Calgary using Daily Bread data

Action to Impact: 

In 2022, Daily Bread stepped up advocacy efforts to press for recognition of food as a human right. Here is a summary of what we accomplished:

• All four provincial parties committed to raising the rates for the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) in their 2022 election platforms. This was a recommendation made by Daily Bread. Pre-election, Talia Bronstein, VP of Research and Advocacy met directly with representatives from all parties to advocate for this recommendation.
• Successfully advocated for the adoption of Inclusionary Zoning at the City.
  • Daily Bread’s CEO, Neil Hetherington, deputed at the Planning and Housing Committee.
  • Talia Bronstein, VP of Research and Advocacy participated in multiple consultations with City of Toronto staff.
  • Over 700 Daily Bread supporters sent letters directly to city councilors asking for direct support of inclusionary zoning.
• Successfully advocated for the Toronto Fair Pass Program, which provides subsidized transit fares, to be expanded to social assistance recipients. A commitment was received that this program will be expanded to all low-income households in the coming years.
• Through a petition, 27,407 Ontarians called on the government to reduce poverty by 50% in our province by 2030.
• Hosted an All-Candidate Townhall leading into the Federal election to allow the local community to raise relevant issues.
• Piloted a member agency Advocacy Committee as a way to organize and ensure priorities are mutually aligned.
• Held a total of thirty-one meetings with government officials to discuss the severity of the food insecurity crisis in the city, and present recommendations.
• Met with four provincial parties to highlight key asks for their election platforms.
• Hosted two information sessions for City Councillors and key staff to share rising numbers of food bank visits in local wards and proposed policy recommendations for consideration.
• Launched a podcast. The 2030 Project: Ending Poverty in Canada, tackles some of the biggest and most pressing social issues facing Canada today. The podcast brings together individuals with lived-experience, community leaders, researchers and more, to explore what it would take to eliminate poverty in our country by the year 2030.

Client Preferences Survey:

Daily Bread Food Bank follows a Rights-Based approach to food distribution and service. We believe client voices must inform organizational decisions. One of our key 2024 Strategic Goals is to ensure that all clients will have access to three days worth of food per weekly visit, based on redesigned offerings, guided by client preferences.

This past year, a client preferences survey was developed to gather information from member agencies about their community’s food needs. Over one thousand clients at thirty-one food banks were asked to complete this in-person survey to gather quantitative and qualitative data that will help inform decisions about the foods Daily Bread should be procuring.

Over the next two years, we will be undertaking a transformation in our food procurement and distribution practices to better align with client preferences where possible.

Canada’s Food Guide Servings Project:

The Canada’s Food Guide Servings Project supports Daily Bread Food Bank’s commitment to providing nourishing food that aligns with public health recommendations and provides context for which foods and beverages to procure, prioritize, and distribute.

This project addresses three specific goals:

1. The latest Canada’s Food Guide, released in 2019, does not provide guidance around daily servings in a balanced plate. This makes it challenging for Daily Bread to procure food in proportions that meet the guide’s recommendations. Through this project, we will create a general model that approximates the intent of the 2019 Canada’s Food Guide in the metric of servings per day.
2. Review Daily Bread’s “primary/core” food categories (grains, dairy, protein, vegetables, and fruit) to ensure current product offerings are providing the best nutritional quality, and make recommendations on healthy product offerings and alternatives. Additionally, review Daily Bread’s secondary categories to rate nutritional value and to identify products that are recommended to not be distributed.
3. Make recommendations about preferred food mix and format within food categories.

The recommendations will apply to purchased foods, planned procurement, as well as donated foods.

Nutrition choices have a significant impact on health. Those facing food insecurity and low socio-economic status may have a disproportionate burden and increased risk of chronic health issues. A move towards nutritionally focused service will help to improve access to healthier food choices, address inequities in eating, and help to prevent nutrition-related health challenges.

Cold Chain Temperature Study:

As part of our commitment to providing quality, respectful, and dignified service at all food programs, a study was completed to assess all the steps in Daily Bread Food Bank’s cold chain. The goal of this study was to ensure the highest quality control when it comes to temperature storage requirements for various food products.

This study provided insights in the following areas:

• Risk mitigation: Regulatory compliance, consumer safety, and waste reduction.
• Freshness assessment: Monitoring and sustaining product integrity.
• General operating procedures: Monitoring temperature and humidity data.

Regular review and continuous improvement on current processes ensures food safety and high-quality products for clients visiting Daily Bread food programs.

July, 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022

*Revenue and Expenses illustrated before Other Items which includes investment income of $452,514 and an unrealized fair value gain (loss) on investments of ($2,188,787).

The wages and benefits paid to each of Daily Bread Food Bank’s full-time staff meet the requirements of the Ontario Living Wage Network. For more information, visit www.ontariolivingwage.ca.