Andrea knew that gang violence was getting worse in her home country of Ecuador, but nothing prepared her for the day she was held at gunpoint, her two small children at risk of being kidnapped.
They escaped physically unharmed. But the emotional scars and risk of further danger were enough for Andrea, her husband, and their children to flee Ecuador for a safer life in Canada.
“It was not easy when we first arrived,” she said. “If you had asked me how I was before we found the food bank, I would have cried. My husband was working as a technician, and I had a part-time job making minimum wage, but it wasn’t enough money to pay rent and feed a family of four in Canada.”
Then a friend introduced Andrea to Scarborough’s OneChurch.to, which runs a Daily Bread Food Bank member agency on site. “I was so stressed about feeding my children,” Andrea said. “But now, thanks to the food bank, I know I can get the basics like eggs, rice, vegetables, and a few snacks like yogurt and granola bars for my kids.”
She and her husband said they miss their family in Ecuador, but they are slowly forging a new life here. Her husband now leads a team of technicians, and she is enrolled in the Global Business Management program at Centennial College. They also have built a community of friends through the church.
“My children really miss their grandparents, but they are doing well, and I am happy they have a chance at a better life,” she said. Thanks in part to Daily Bread and the team at OneChurch.to Food Bank, Andrea and her family’s future is looking bright.
Monthly food bank visits have skyrocketed over 400%, from an average of 65,000 in 2018 to over 350,000 in May 2024. One in ten Torontonians must now rely on food banks to access the food they need.
Click here to support Daily Bread’s critical food programs like the one Andrea attends.
