North York Harvest Holds Best-Ever Food Drive

TORONTO – Thanks to the generosity of northern Toronto residents, the North York Harvest Food Bank held its best-ever winter food drive, raising more than 130,000 pounds of food – almost a third more than was collected in 2008.

“Even though many people are still hurting from the economic downtown, the community really came through by helping us exceed our expectations,” said Anette Chawla, Executive Director of the North York Harvest Food Bank. “It’s heartening to see that when times are tough, people are dedicated more than ever to help others in need.”

As the effects of the recession lingered, food bank use in 2009 increased by 20 per cent over the previous year. As of October, North York Harvest Food Bank received 135,000 visits to its network of agencies providing food assistance. About 40 per cent of people benefiting from food assistance last year were children and youth under 18.

The winter food drive is an important opportunity for North York Harvest to re-stock its shelves. Support from individuals, community organizations, Toronto Fire Services and businesses such as Loblaw and Metro grocery stores all made the food drive a success.

About the North York Harvest Food Bank

The North York Harvest Food Bank is the primary food bank for northern Toronto. An independent, charitable organization, it distributes over one million pounds of food to 60 community food programs between Hwy 27, Steeles Ave., Victoria Park Ave., and St. Clair Ave./Eglinton Ave. To learn more about North York Harvest programs, visit www.northyorkharvest.com.

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For further information, contact:
James Ip
Communications Manager
Ph: 416-635-7771, Cell: 647-297-7759
james [at] northyorkharvest [dot] com