“Because of the food bank, my kids are always happy”
An engineering student and a busy father of two: it’s hard to imagine that only five years ago Kevin’s life looked very different.
In his twenties, Kevin was incarcerated after falling in with the wrong crowd. Leaving a halfway house four years later, he knew he needed to start over.
Soon after settling in a new community in Scarborough, he received full custody of his two children.
“I went from feeding myself – more or less – to providing breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks every day for my kids,” Kevin shares.
“I was used to going to the street to do the wrong thing, but now I have kids who look up to me.”
While he was able to afford most of his living expenses, groceries were a constant struggle.
“I wasn’t accustomed to the cost. I love cooking, but it’s expensive, especially when two growing children don’t want to eat the same things.”
“I was used to going to the street to do the wrong thing, but now I have kids who look up to me.”
While he was able to afford most of his living expenses, groceries were a constant struggle. “I wasn’t accustomed to the cost. I love cooking, but it’s expensive, especially when two growing children don’t want to eat the same things.”
When Kevin decided to turn to his neighbourhood food bank for help, he was surprised to find a sense of community.
“Because of the food bank, my kids are always happy,” Kevin says. “At Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, it’s a place you can count on. If you have no family, they will be your family.”
Now 33 years old, Kevin has his eyes set on a new future for himself and his family. As he works on completing his degree in civil engineering, he hopes to one day be able to put his skills to work building a community centre where all children can feel welcome.
“Obviously I’d have a food program on-site too,” he says with a laugh. “The food bank is a pillar in the community. Daily Bread was literally a savior for someone in my position.”