Every holiday season, we at CAFE kick things off with our annual food drive. We believe it is important to put community needs ahead of fun and festivities, and we are proud to have embarked upon our 7th annual food drive where we collect donations to assist those who need it most. This year, our donations went to support Fort York Food Bank, Parkdale Food Bank and Flemingdon Food Bank. As with our annual toy drive, the community showed up and pitched in generously throughout November, making our final collection a respectable size.
Our team gathered up the donations from each of our five locations, plus the additional food we purchased to match those from our patrons, and then headed over to the first stop of the day – Fort York Food Bank. The day was cold and frosty, and our team was glad to be bundled up in their warm coats and winter gear. The cold temperatures always serve as a harsh reminder to us that many others in the community brave the cold regularly as they wait in line at food banks. We at CAFE are grateful for the opportunity to work with great organizations like FYFB, Parkdale and Flemingdon Park Food Banks, and do our part in serving others in the ways we can.
We split the donations across the three sites, and had the opportunity to meet with all of the dedicated staff and volunteers that were working to ensure that the food was unpacked, sorted and distributed to those waiting. Their tirelessness and dedication was incredibly inspiring to all of us present that day.
This year, we were pleased to welcome donations from our friends at Rawthentic! They supported our food drive y purchasing multiple bags of non perishables, and accompanying our team to go drop off the goods.
Fort York Food Bank, Parkdale Food Bank and Flemingdon Food Bank are pillars of our local society, with each site serving different communities across the GTA. These organizations work year round, not just during the holidays, to meet the needs of Toronto residents. Our donations were simply a drop in the bucket, yet all three food banks were very thankful and appreciative of our efforts. While the events of the day humbled our hearts, the team was filled with a renewed resolve to continue our efforts to serve our community in any way we can.
