Feed Scarborough (formerly Scarborough Food Security Initiative) began in 2018 as a holiday hamper program in Southwest Scarborough. In the early days of the pandemic, Suman Roy, Chair, saw that the local food bank had been unable to stay open and decided to step up to fill the need. Suman was able to quickly mobilize volunteers and set up a food delivery program to area residents.
In April 2020, Daily Bread Food Bank came on-board to support this program and together delivered food to over 1,000 households. Today, Feed Scarborough has three food bank programs and is serving 5,000 individuals per month. In addition, a food truck travels across the area three days per week, ensuring that those who may not be able to reach a food bank can access the food they need.
Operating from a guiding value that food is a human right, Feed Scarborough’s service model prioritizes choice and access. Clients can book an appointment to shop in person for the items that meet their needs. Based on family size, each client is provided with a points “debit” card that can be used on a variety of fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable foods. A new pilot program is also underway to allow clients to shop online and pick-up their order. This is the kind of food access innovation that makes Feed Scarborough unique.
“At Feed Scarborough we value unrestricted and dignified access to food. Developing our free in-person and online grocery store model was challenging but made feasible with the support of Daily Bread. Our partnership has been invaluable in shifting the traditional way clients can access food assistance programs.” Suman Roy, Feed Scarborough.
With funding support from Daily Bread, Feed Scarborough is currently developing a community meal program in partnership with Scarborough Arts. Daily Bread is deeply proud of this innovative organization and the work they are doing to address food access gaps in their community.
To make a donation to Daily Bread Food Bank and support the work of our agency partners, click here.
