In Toronto’s downtown west, the Fort York Food Bank (FYFB) is busy every day of the year, making sure people in our community have access to groceries and hot meals.
This Sunday, their regular hot meal service will feature a Thanksgiving menu with turkey and all the sides, prepared and served by volunteers.
But as Executive Director Julie LeJeune points out, hunger is not seasonal.
“Food insecurity exists all year long,” she says. “It doesn’t go up at Thanksgiving or Christmas.”
The growing need for support
Each week, FYFB provides groceries to more than 6,300 people. They serve about 3,000 hot takeaway meals each month.
That is six times more people than before the pandemic.
Julie LeJeune put it simply in an interview with The Green Line:
“Rent is expensive in the city, so even if you work full-time at minimum wage, you can’t make ends meet in Toronto. We’re here for that low-income person who’s just trying to make it through the week or the month.”
A small team meeting a big need
FYFB operates seven days a week with just four staff and more than 300 volunteers. They distribute groceries, cook hot meals, and provide information and referrals to help people access other supports.
The organization calls itself proudly grassroots and has been serving the downtown community since 1998. As Julie Lejeune explains,
“We hoped we wouldn’t still be needed. But as long as we are, we’ll keep showing up.”
How you can help
A donation to FYFB helps them ensure that they have healthy items on hand, such as fresh produce, milk, eggs and meat.
Of course, they can always use more volunteers to get food to people who need it most.