Daily Bread Food Bank volunteers gather ahead of Thanksgiving to help those in need

Almost 200 volunteers gathered Saturday for the Daily Bread Food Bank's first in-person food sorting event since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

They came out ahead of Thanksgiving Day for those who need extra support in the coming weeks, but also to advocate for long-term change, says Neil Hetherington, the CEO for the Daily Bread Food Bank. 

"At Thanksgiving, we reflect and we think about all the things we have to be grateful for," said Hetherington.

"But way too many Canadians are going without."

Each week, the organization distributes almost 250,000 kilograms of food to programs across Toronto. Last month, the bank says it logged more than 180,000 client visits in its locations — triple the number of visits it saw before the pandemic — and registered more than 9,000 new clients, representing a 64 per cent increase over the last six months. 

Hetherington says the impacts of the pandemic and soaring food costs due to inflation have resulted in the highest usage numbers they've seen in their almost 40 years of operation. And they're not the only ones — food banks across the GTA have said they're facing the highest demand in history for similar reasons, noting the rise in rental costs is also a factor.

It's one of the reasons why volunteers like Chun-Yip Hon came out.

"It's just important to contribute to this society, knowing that inflation has caused a lot of increases in food costs," said Hon, who says he's volunteered at the food bank with his family for several years.

"We're fortunate that we have a steady income, but we are feeling the impact on our wallet ourselves. So for the people who have a lower income or are less fortunate, certainly they would feel the impact."

For Colleen Madden Devan, volunteering at the food bank helps her be a good role model to her kids.

"It's essential to understand how lucky you are as an individual, and the things that you do have, by supporting those that may not have that same opportunity at that moment," said Devan.

Mayor John Tory also came out to help, saying he's volunteered with the food bank for about a decade. He says it's an important way to show thanks to volunteers and the food bank helping those in need.

But to help more people out of food insecurity, Tory says governments can get the economy back on its feet, get more people jobs, prioritize affordable housing, and provide social assistance for people who are lower-income.

"Our job is to help all the governments and business and everybody to get through these uncertain times, and use our experience to do that. But in the meantime there are people who need help," said Tory.