Community Knowledge Centre - Toronto Community Foundation

About this organization

Mission

Fighting to end hunger in our communities by providing food and resources for hungry people, mobilizing greater support, involvement and action, and creating social change to reduce poverty through research, education and advocacy.

History of Organization

Founded in 1983, Daily Bread is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to eliminating hunger. Daily Bread Food Bank was started by a group of volunteers who noticed an increase in the number of people living in poverty and going hungry in the Toronto area during the recession in the early eighties. The driving force behind these volunteers was Sister Marie Tremblay, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph. These volunteers decided that a centralized food distribution system was needed, and brought together a range of community services that were dealing with the hunger problem on the ground to create Daily Bread Food Bank.

Accolades and Accomplishments

In 2009, Daily Bread provided food for 872,000 client visits to one of Daily Bread’s over 174 member agencies. By working with the food industry, Daily Bread helped ensure that millions of pounds of wholesome food was donated to those who need it, rather than ending up as waste. Besides providing food and resources to those struggling with hunger, Daily Bread also explores the root causes of hunger and poverty through our research and advocacy work. Daily Bread’s research and advocacy work resulted in Ontario introducing the Ontario Child Benefit to help low income families, which was fully implemented in July 2009. Daily Bread, in partnership with the Caledon Institute, developed North America's first Deprivation Index, a "standard of living" indicator that the Ontario government will use to monitor its progress as part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy. Daily Bread’s executive director also chaired the Social Assistance Review Advisory Council report, providing recommendations to the provincial government on how a review of Ontario’s social assistance programs should be set up.

Last Year, Daily Bread had over 24,000 volunteers contributing almost 100,000 hours, allowing us to use our resources where they are most needed – helping those struggling with hunger.

Programs

>Food Delivery and Distribution
>Food Services Training Program
>Hungry City Youth Education Program

Food Delivery and Distribution – every year Daily Bread delivers and distributes over 12 million pounds of food to those struggling with hunger in Toronto.

Food Services Training Program – a 16-week training program in the food service industry for individuals who are having trouble finding employment, and are often food bank clients.

Youth Education Program – this program educates, engages and empowers youth to explore the complex issues of hunger and poverty, while dispelling myth and stereotypes, and presenting information that encourages critical thinking.

Food Delivery and Distribution

Five days a week, 52 weeks a year, Daily Bread trucks deliver emergency food supplies to over 170 member agencies. Our member agencies are made up of food banks, meal programs, homeless and women’s shelters as well as breakfast and lunch programs for kids. Last year, we served 872,000 client visits, an increase of 14 per cent, or 114,000 extra client visits in Toronto, providing 12 million pounds of food to those struggling with hunger. Our trucks also pick up food donations from our communities partners, salvaging millions of pounds of wholesome food per year from going to landfill and waste.

Our member agencies place weekly orders with Daily Bread, which we then fulfill and deliver. Our warehouse management system allows us to track all food donations, into and out of our distribution center so that we can determine the amount and type of food we have to send to each agency on a daily basis.

Daily Bread recently implemented a new Roadnet system, allowing us to deliver food donations across our city more efficiently.  It cuts down on fuel and maintenance costs, as well as allows us to tell our agencies and food donors the exact time that we will be picking up and dropping off food.

Daily Bread also trains volunteers as advocates, and places them in our member agencies where they provide food bank clients with additional support in dealing with a whole range of other issues they may be facing.

Program Impact

Food delivery and distribution is more than just providing food to those struggling with hunger.  We also:

• Improve the overall health of individuals and our communities
• Provide children with breakfast and/or lunch so that they can concentrate at school and have the energy to participate in sports and other physical activities
• Connect people to the right resources and support systems they need in order to alleviate issues they may be dealing with
• Connect individuals with social services and programs that will help them
• Connect people with each other, decreasing feelings of isolation and depression

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

“The average cost of food for a family of four is $590/month, up 9.4% from 2006, with one third of Toronto children living in poverty. This same family would need to spend 33% of its income on food and 72% on rent – more than they have.” (Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2009)

This leave the difficult choice of having to choose between buying food and paying rent for many families, with most families choosing rent and relying on food banks.

Participant Vignette

One cold February evening, a Daily Bread staff member noticed a woman with two young children sitting outside at a picnic table.  After talking with her, Kathy* reluctantly came in and sat down with our intake worker.  While still shivering, standing in the hallway with the children, the youngest child, who was approximately 8 years old, said “Mommy, can we eat now.  I’m hungry.”  Looking quite embarrassed, Kathy quietly said “no” and quickly left the building. As she walked out to the parking lot she stopped, rummaged through the grocery bags she had been given, and gave her children some food.

*Client named changed to respect privacy

Food Services Training Program

The Food Services Training Program provides individuals who are facing barriers finding employment, often food bank clients, with 16-weeks of training in all aspects of the food service industry, including customer service and job search support. This program provides trade skills, life skills, and job search skills that enables the trainees to secure full-time jobs in the food industry, as well as achieve economic independence and confidence in themselves, both professionally and personally.  

Since its inception in 2006, we have provided training to a total of 140 people who would otherwise have not had the opportunity to gain experience and knowledge in this field.

The trainees are also directly involved in the fight against hunger by preparing nutritious meals for food bank clients. Each week, they prepare between 3,500 to 4,500 soups and casseroles that are sent out to our member agencies, providing a healthy meal to thousands across the city.

Funding and Program Partners

Proud supporters of the Food Services Training Program include:

• Campbell Company of Canada
• Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation
• RBC Foundation

Program Impact

The Food Services Training Program empowers and enables individuals to obtain full-time employment, financial independence, confidence and self assurance. By providing these individuals with the skills needed to find employment, they are able to improve their lives, the lives of their families and children and create a better future for themselves and those around them.

As well, the trainees of the program directly fight hunger by providing food bank clients with 3,500 to 4,500 healthy, nutritious meals per week.

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

“Toronto unemployment rate rose by 37% from July 2008 to July 2009.”

“42,680 Torontonians received Employment Insurance May 2008 and May 2009, an 88% increase.”

“Recent immigrants are three times more likely to have lost their jobs in the economic downturn than their Canadian born colleagues.”

(Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2009)

Participant Vignette

"I was a student at the DBFB cooking course. I came into this course having an idea of what I wanted out of a course, and received so much more! Todd in baking, Ron in hot/ production, Cheryl in cold, and Joanne Clarke with her care and attentiveness in the life skills all gave me a sense of accomplishment and helped to pave the way for me to excel forward in many aspects of the food industry. The instructors in this program not only where very hands-on but understanding, patient and I found to carry themselves with respect and dignity. This made my time there exciting and left my wanting to strive for more. I was grateful for all the knowledge that all the instructors possess, and the course not only allowed me to graduate with confidence and a solid grasp on the food industry, but literally got my foot in the door to the position that I have today! Whole Foods Market is an amazing place to work and employs many people that have the same general focus “to provide the best service to the customer with great product". I would recommend this program to the person who can take direction, has a good work ethic, and can utilize his or her resources. The "DBFB", is rich in people resources. I was able to graduate with promise and a sense of accomplishment and ability to provide Quality service in the field I am in now!"

Hungry City Youth Education Program

The Hungry City Youth Education Program educates, engages and empowers youth to get involved and make a difference in their communities by learning about issues relating to hunger and poverty.  This program consists of on and off-site workshops on hunger and poverty, school-wide presentations, food bank tours and group volunteer opportunities. The program is supported by a website (www.hungrycity.ca) designed specifically for youth and educators, and includes resource sections, youth guides, statistics and step-by-step tools that serve as easily accessible learning tools for youth. The full time education coordinator works closely with the Toronto and Toronto Catholic district school boards and private schools to create resources and advice local educations on how they can incorporate these important topics in daily curriculum. Free planning meetings and workshops are made available to educators.  The majority of youth groups that participate in this program go on to run food and fund drives, or run school-wide poverty education weeks, making a direct impact in their communities.

Program Impact

Last year Daily Bread provided 5,632 workshops across the GTA to youth and community groups outlining the current issues related to hunger and poverty. These workshops educated youth on breaking down stereotypes and myths associated with food banks and people who use them. We also hosted over 4,000 youth in group volunteering experiences and had over 200 youth groups registered in food drives, raising over 100,000 pounds of food. That’s the equivalent of providing food hamper boxes to 3,375 families of four that will last three to four days!

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

“ 65.6% of Torontonians feel a sense of belonging to their local community, up 7.4% from 2005.”

“47% of Torontonians are visible minorities, yet fill just 13% of the GTA’s leadership roles”

(Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2009)

Participant Vignette

Dear Ms. Singer,

Thank you very much for letting myself and my classmates from Bennington Heights Elementary School tour the Daily Bread Food Bank. I really learned a lot. What made my jaw drop was when you told us that more than one million people visited the Food Bank in 2009. You really painted a picture for us when you explained that’s almost enough people to fill the Rogers Centre TWENTY ONE TIMES!!

I found it sad that more than a third of the people that go to the Food Bank are children. Even though Daily Bread Food Bank is such a great cause it’s disappointing to hear that each week seventeen percent of children still go hungry.

The one thing I can do it spread this great idea to other people so they could think about the people who don’t get food three times a day like we do. I look forward to helping with our next Food Drive and maybe even spreading the news to other people so more and more people are thinking about fighting hunger each day.

Sincerely,

Jordan