Searching for Other Food Security Initiatives

A group of residents, businesses and organizations committed to a vision of a poverty free Niagara. NPRN focuses on priority poverty-related issues that directly affect the people of Niagara with the goal of increasing Niagara's knowledge about poverty's root causes and to engage residents, businesses and organizations in taking action to address root causes.

NPRN provides information and education about poverty and opportunities to collaborate with other poverty initiatives. Presentations about poverty can be requested. All meetings are open to the public.

A social enterprise/farm share community, working with multiple farmers, businesses and distributors to provide local product to Niagara residents. For every subscription produce box bought, a bag of free produce is provided to various community groups within the region, as well as on site, to those in need.

Helps local churches and organizations connect with local subsidized housing communities for the purposes of poverty relief and community investment

Food Bank

• weekly food distribution
• food supplied by Food for Life
• fresh food and canned goods are distributed

More than a Meal

• prepared dinners delivered to homeless, elderly shut ins and in special circumstances

Community barbecues and dinners

• coordinates on site summer barbecues and community dinners at subsidized housing sites
• gives the participants opportunities to get to know each other, moving them from loneliness to engagement

Camp Dakota

• an outreach program that serves children and youth who live in subsidized, low income housing communities
• a summer day camp program run in Halton Region and 5 sites in Toronto
• activities include basketball, field hockey, wide games - capture the flag & prisoners base, track and field, soccer, frisbee, hip hop dance, crafts and story time
• all programs are provided at no cost to the camper or the family
• see website for more information

Healing Wheelz

• the bike doctor (Phil Carver) makes house calls and does on site bike clinics to do bike repairs so no kid is without a bike
• if it can't be repaired on site, he'll take it to the shop
• for those who want to learn how, he will provide training to become a bike doctor

Father's House Cafe

• held every Mon evening from 5 pm-9 pm
• a coffee house format, where the atmosphere is warm and inviting, refreshments are served, personal stories and experiences are shared, encouragement is given, prayer is available and the unconditional love of God dispensed

Life Happens

• program helps neighbours living in poverty, connect to community resources through advocacy and referral

Winter outerwear distribution

Christmas toy distribution

Annual fundraiser in May

Organizes food drives to support local food banks and poverty reduction initiatives

• partners with Second Harvest to secure fresh food and divert it from the waste stream, including but not limited to bread, pastry, prepared food and meat

Food and financial donations support:

• Grace United Church 'Food Pantry and Community Support'
• Forestview Church 'Next Door Social Space'
• North Burlington Baptist Church

Food donations can be dropped off at the following grocery stores:

• Metro, 2010 Appleby Line at Upper Middle Rd
• Freshco, 3505 Upper Middle Rd at Walkers Line
• Sobey's Extra, 1250 Brant St (Power Centre)

Financial donations:

• official tax receipts for income tax purposes will be issued
• make cheque payable to NBBC-Burlington Food Share and mail to NBBC 1377 Walkers Line Burlington ON L7M 0Z1

Distributes healthy food packages to over 100 schools supporting over 1,000 elementary school students in Halton

• food items are packed by volunteers and delivered to schools every Friday
• at the school, the food package is placed discreetly into the student's own backpack helping to shield the child from any stigma associated with hunger or receiving food assistance
• each child in the home receives their own food package, even those not school aged

Centralized intake to connect to local food delivery programs and resources

Meals on Wheels: makes hot or frozen meals available to individuals who have physical and financial limitations * offers menu of choices to suit everyone's dietary needs * hot or frozen meals delivered by volunteers

Food Advisor Supports: Helps to direct to the most appropriate food supports programs and services available in community based on clients needs and circumstances

Partnership with Halton schools working to improve the learning capacity, health and well being of children and youth via student nutrition programs / healthy food at school

Programs include:

• breakfast
• classroom baskets (Healthy Food Bin)
• salad bar lunches
• high school meal cards

The Halton Region Community Investment Fund (HRCIF) supports a wide range of non-profit human service programs that enhance the health, safety and well-being of Halton residents, by providing one-year and multi-year grants to programs and initiatives through two categories of funding and is part of Halton's overall approach to community safety and well-being planning

The two categories of funding include:

Category One:
* provides one-year funding to non-profit, charitable and unincorporated community organizations for short-term, innovative or small capital projects
* grants are awarded up to a maximum of $30,000

Category Two:
* provides up to three years of program funding to charitable organizations

Activities include:
* makes multi-year funding investments in the community support network of human service agencies that deliver critical, prevention-based programs and services, regularly evaluates funded programs and initiatives and analyzes investment results
* works collectively to design long-term strategies for program delivery, share research and provide assistance to improve governance and administration practices
* researches and investigates the root causes of challenging social issues in order to develop strategies that ensure lasting change
* partners with the community (school boards, governments, academia, unions, business leaders, neighbourhood residents and funders) to ensure coordinated, collaborative action and to develop local solutions

Halton Poverty Roundtable (HPRT) is a strategic program area which connects, educates and acts on issues related to poverty in Halton
* increases education and awareness of poverty and creates opportunity for community action

Activities include:

• bringing the root causes of poverty to the attention of elected officials and encouraging them to take action
• public awareness and education by means of a speaker series
• advocacy
• community development
• campaigning for a living wage and income supports

Provides children and families internationally and in vulnerable communities in Canada with food and the essential nutrients they need:
* school feeding programs that not only supply educational and health benefits, but contribute to gender equality, food security and poverty alleviation
* works with communities to grow sustainable food and promote public health education, improved seeds and better farming practices result in increased agricultural productivity which improves overall nutrition in the community

Seeks to break cycles of poverty by increasing children's access to quality education and developing the next generation of leaders through
* secondary and post-secondary scholarships
* life skills training
* community education initiatives

Works to strengthen the well-being of children and families through:
* promoting health and nutrition practices
* work on the prevention of major diseases and provide opportunities to augment maternal and child health

Across Canada, Speroway supports communities in need, including First Nations communities, refugees, and other vulnerable groups
* distributes food, warm clothing, and hygiene items to families in need through partners across the country, including food banks, community centres, women and children shelters, churches and schools

Collects surplus perishable food (fruit and vegetables, dairy, meat and prepared foods) from both retail and wholesale food suppliers and grocery stores

• redistributes fresh, nutritious food so that everyone has access to healthy food

Provides food support through:

• Neighbourhood Food Programs (see link to find food programs in your community)
• Mountainside Market in Burlington
  
  

Food Assistance and Information and Referral Centre

• referrals to local food banks and meal programs for persons in need of food
• information, referral, advocacy and crisis support related to income supports and government entitlements (such as Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program)
• community services related to housing, legal, mental health, abuse and other issues
• volunteer opportunities

Food Distribution and Coordination

• collects, stores, distributes food to over 130 social service agencies
• supports food programs that provide meals or groceries to people in need across the Greater Toronto Area

Fundraising and Development, Public Education

• public education, research and initiatives on hunger, poverty and reducing need for food bank use
• conducts public food drives
• online food donation via credit card available

New Toronto Street Food Bank -- see separate entry

Virtual learning programs for seniors and children, free seniors transportation, food rescue projects in partnership with Second Harvest Food Support Committee

Educate Me
Virtual learning programs, registration required, contact for details on start dates and time

• seniors program for adults 55 years and older, including digital technology and healthy cooking classes
• children's summer math tutoring program for grades 4-5

Seniors Ride Program
For isolated seniors 62 years and older, who require transportation assistance for shopping, banking, medical appointments

• transportation provided by screened volunteers
• call for intake, appointment booking
• in partnership with social groups and churches

Resources and food distribution for member food banks in Ontario

• research, publications, advocacy
• Find a Food Bank -- locate a member food bank in your area
• does not provide direct emergency food support -- in Toronto, individuals requiring food support contact Daily Bread Food Bank or North York Harvest Food Bank for referral (see separate entries)

Support the health of individuals, families and communities

Child and Youth Programs - Provide youth with a wide range of social recreational activities that will enable them to be peer leaders, and to enhance their personal and community capacity

EarlyON Child and Family Centre - Free drop-in programs offer children up to the age of six, their parents, and their caregivers an interactive environment where they can participate a wide range of activities

Food Access Programs - Addresses food access and food security issues in the Stonegate community * support the development, implementation and operation of a local community garden, a Good Food Box program, a Good Food Market, a seasonal Farmers' Market, and school based Snack Program * capacity building workshops around food issues also organized throughout the year for community members to attend.

Pre and Post Natal Programs - Pre natal program offer child birth classes and a weekly pre natal nutrition program * post-natal programs offer parenting information, breastfeeding support and encourage healthy eating for women in the first year of their baby's life

Rescues fresh, surplus food and delivers daily, free of charge to community agencies and emergency food programs

• training and education
• volunteer opportunities

Harvest Kitchens -- surplus food prepared by staff and/or volunteers that are packaged and distributed to non-profite organizations who serve meals but do not have the kitchen space or staff to cook meals themselves

FoodRescue.ca -- online platform connecting businesses with surplus food products to non-for-profit agencies with food programs

• advance registration required for both food donors and receivers, form on website
• available throughout Canada
• also information on how to reduce food waste at home

Feeding Our Future -- summer program providing meals in city camps

Does not distribute food to individuals directly, no food distribution at this location

Pay what you can grocery store and café

• food reclamation and meals program

Assistance in developing programs which focus on financial literacy and coaching, helping people with low income to file taxes and access government benefits, improving access for low income people to safe and affordable financial services and helping them to build savings and assets

• consumer protection and education
• also policy development, program management, information exchange, capacity building, public education and research

Benefits wayfinder -- for current information on federal, provincial and territorial benefits, including those related to COVID-19 CLICK HERE

COVID19 -- visit website or call for information

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Services, programs and advocacy to address the problems of food access and hunger

• open to community ideas for use of resources
• member of Daily Bread Food Bank

Drop-in

• community dining
• food bank
• community gardening
• community kitchens, bake oven
• information and referral
• community advocacy
• Healthy Beginnings -- prenatal nutrition and support
• Green Barn -- sustainable food production and education centre
• Farmers Market
• Good Food Market
• in partnership with other agencies, ID clinic, help to find and keep housing, legal service referrals, settlement orientation to the community with information and referral to other services, dietetic counselling
• educational and recreational sessions

Member agency of Toronto Drop-in Network (TDIN)

Provides food to a network of neighbourhood agencies throughout Mississauga

• no onsite food bank at this location

Find your local food bank through search function on the website, Need Food? www.themississaugafoodbank.org/need-food

Food Bank 2 Home -- at home delivery service for residents within Mississauga unable to visit their local food bank

• must meet eligibility criteria, for information visit www.themississaugafoodbank.org/applyhomedelivery

COVID-19 -- open, food deliveries only

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• Collects, sorts and distributes food to a network of neighbourhood food programs including food banks, shelters, prenatal programs, meal programs and community kitchens in northern Toronto
• food bank and meal program referrals
• community garden projects
• pick-your-own farm trips
• public education on hunger and poverty issues
• professional development
• volunteer opportunities

Lawrence Heights Community Food Space, Bathurst-Finch Community Food Bank and Oriole Food Space -- see separate entries

COVID19 -- Still delivering paid Good Food Box across the City, boxes can be ordered for a fee at goodfoodbox.foodshare.net

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Community Food Programs -- food justice education for children, youth, adults, seniors and educators

Baby and Toddler Nutrition -- training and information on making healthy homemade baby food from fresh affordable food

Community Food Growing Programs -- information, training and resources, growing food and communities, composting, beekeeping, school gardens

Commercial Kitchen -- fully equipped kitchen for community-based groups and small businesses that do not have access to a commercial kitchen, fee

Bulk Produce -- offering fresh produce and pre-packaged snacks to schools, community groups and businesses, fee

• to set up an account, place an order or learn more email orders@foodshare.net

Good Food Box -- fee

• individuals can order fresh produce boxes and other food items online at
  goodfoodbox.foodshare.net
• agencies looking to order Good Food Boxes in bulk and have them delivered to a central location, email orders@foodshare.net

Good Food Markets -- weekly community run produce market selling affordable and culturally appropriate fruits and vegetables

Domestic program -- financial support to child nutrition programs in First Nations communities across Canada

Overseas program -- long term community development in areas of food security, education and capacity building