Nearly 200 volunteers gather at Daily Bread Food Bank to sort, pack food ahead of Thanksgiving
CBC
With Thanksgiving Day around the corner, almost 200 volunteers gathered at Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto over the weekend to sort and pack food for families in need across the city.
"We are deeply grateful to our community of volunteers for their dedication and commitment to making our city a better place," said Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Neil Hetherington.
"Food is a human right, and with the help of our volunteers, we are able to ensure that food gets efficiently packed and distributed to those who need it most."
Daily Bread has seen another record year of demand, with more than 12,500 new people now coming to the food bank for the first time each month, says Hetherington. That is compared to 1,000 people before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Volunteers are essential in helping us meet this emergency need," the food bank said in a news release Friday.
This year Daily Bread is working to raise $3.8 million and 102,965 kilograms of food to meet what it's been calling "crisis" level demand.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow joined the crowd of volunteers to pack and sort food alongside them Saturday.
"When I'm sorting, I get very grateful for your contribution. I also get really angry and say 'Well, you know what, [it] shouldn't be like this,'" Chow said speaking to reporters ahead of the food-sorting event.
"Lets be angry about the situation but remain hopeful we can make a difference."
Ontario Premier Doug Ford was also amongst those in attendance.
"It's very tough right now. Times are tough," Ford said, adding that his government is continuing to work on its goal to provide more affordable housing across the province.
"We have to build more attainable and affordable homes so that people can have a roof over their heads."
Aamna Syed, a volunteer at the food-sorting event, says the experience holds a special meaning for her.
"It's actually the anniversary of my mother's passing. She was really big on coming together as a family and feeding us," Syed explained. "We thought the best way to honour her was to give back to the community and to support everyone who's less fortunate to get food."
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