John and Rejoice Emore moved to Canada in 2018 in search of a better, safer life for their four children. But the transition was fraught with challenges.
“It was tough,” Rejoice recalled. “Coming into a new place, not knowing anybody, not knowing where you’re going, not knowing where you’re going to stay.” In those early days, they frequented food banks to make ends meet.
But once they settled into Canadian life, the husband-and-wife team — both pastors who had led charity work back in Nigeria — were eager to give back to the community that had supported them. They started with a free after-school basketball program in 2019 and haven’t stopped expanding since.
That first activity has steadily grown into today’s West Hill Community Support Program, a Daily Bread Food Bank member agency that runs four food programs, an afterschool sports program in seven schools, and even a free March Break camp, all through the critical support of 40-some volunteers.
What spurred this growth? “When you are passionate about it, passion is what keeps you going, even when there are no resources,” said Rejoice.
The duo first noticed the deep need for food in the community at their basketball games. “In West Hill, when the kids come for sports, they tell you they’re hungry,” John said. They started to bring food to their sports programs and now deliver snacks to schools for activities four nights a week.
Once a week, they drop food off at a handful of local shelters, where they have on-site shelter liaisons distribute it to residents.
And every Tuesday and Saturday they operate their West Hill food bank off Lawrence Avenue. Saturdays are dedicated to seniors’ service so older clients don’t have to wait too long in line.
In the years since John and Rejoice started their first program, food bank usage has skyrocketed in Toronto. In 2024, Toronto saw over 3.75 million food bank visits, a 25% increase over the year prior and more than 4.5 times higher than pre-pandemic levels. John and Rejoice’s growth in services evolved with this growing need. And they’re still expanding: In September, they moved into a larger food bank space to accommodate their rising number of clients and the volunteers needed to serve them.
Next, they hope to open employment services. “We want to start training people to be employment-ready, and connect people with the resources they need to bounce back and get out of poverty,” John said.
At Daily Bread Food Bank, we are so grateful for member agency leaders like John and Rejoice, who are fighting to end hunger on the front lines, with so much passion for the cause.
“Even if we had a billion dollars, we’d do the same thing that we are doing,” John said. “It’s something we’ll always do, as long as we have the strength.”
To fund emergency food services like those provided by West Hill Community Support Program, please consider donating today.
