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The 415 Food Hub
About our Food Bank
In early 2021, the NeighbourLink staff and a small group of volunteers began meeting to start a food bank in a Toronto Community Housing complex in Willowdale. The food hub officially opened with our Thanksgiving Pop Up in October of 2021.
The recipients we serve have an average annual income of 15-18K for a family of 4. Cost of living in Toronto is extremely high and it is expected that food costs will increase by close to 1K for a family this year.
Our clients told us that they often only eat 50% of what they get from other food support programs because of their food preferences, and many people told us they do not eat that many canned foods. Food banks usually distribute primarily cans and carbs. Our food bank is different. Thanks to the community's generosity, we can provide fresh food, including vegetables, fruit, dairy, eggs, and protein. We spend approximately $50 per family monthly, but they get around $80-100 worth of food.
Our food distribution days are the third Friday of every month, and on average, we provide food to 150 families, which is nearly 500 neighbours!
The Food Hub Operates with 3 Core Goals in Mind:
1. Fostering a sense of community by bringing people together around a common goal of food security
2. Prioritizing fresh and nutritious food options, with 75% of the food we provide each month being fresh produce.
3. Upholding the dignity of choice by using a shopping-model approach. Our pantry and fresh food rooms allow residents to choose the items that best fit their families' needs and family size.
We lean on the community for all our non-perishable food. All the financial donations we receive go to buy fresh food.
Past Food Hubs
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Partners
