You could say acts of service are how Carrol Morris expresses love when it comes to her community. She and fellow volunteer, Nessalee Wheatle, established the Toronto Perth SDA Food Bank in 2020, when they witnessed the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the ability of church members to put food on the table.
It was not an easy start for the duo. “I think we served seven or eight people the first week we opened,” says Carrol. Word slowly spread about the food bank, and more clients began lining up each week.
To meet the growing demand, Toronto Perth SDA Food Bank signed on as a Daily Bread Food Bank member agency in 2022. As a member of our network, we provide the food bank with skids of fresh produce, shelf stable items, meat and dairy each week. Toronto Perth SDA Food Bank now serves close to 900 individuals every Thursday during a three-hour window.
Shoppers, as they refer to clients, can choose from either a grocery store model where they select the foods they want or can opt for a food box containing staples like milk, fruits and vegetables and some proteins.
For those that opt for the food box model, Carrol and the other volunteers always put a little extra love into each box by personalizing it for the family receiving it. “We get to know everyone and what they like and don’t like, and we try our best to build a customised box for each of them,” says Carroll.
“I love to serve,” she says. “It’s an opportunity to meet people and, it gives me purpose.” The shoppers, who have bestowed the nickname ‘Mother’ upon her, clearly recognize the extra time and care she takes in all she does at the food bank.
With food bank visits topping 350,000 in the month of May of this year – a 12% increase over April – we are grateful to agency members like Toronto Perth SDA Food Bank. We could not continue to meet the rise in demand without their support and commitment.
Click here if you would like to support Daily Bread’s food programs in Toronto.
