Our Impact

Food is a human right. No one should go hungry or face barriers in accessing the food they need.

As a Rights-Based organization, Daily Bread Food Bank is guided by the following commitments:

1. Providing low-barrier service and equitable access to nutritious food and variety at all food programs.
   • We will facilitate access to food to anyone who needs it, regardless of circumstance, and enable food choice whenever possible. 
2. Providing respectful and dignified customer service at all food programs.
   • We will foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.
3. Empowering and prioritizing the people we serve.
   • Our decisions will take into account the lived experience of the individuals we serve.
4. Advocating for the realization of the right to food.
   • We will collaborate with groups and individuals to affirm food as a human right through robust advocacy for policies that encourage government bodies to act on the root causes of poverty. 
5. Fostering a culture that reflects Rights-Based Approach principles and embedding practices in our ways of operating. 
   • From the Board of Directors, leadership, employees to member agencies, we will apply a rights-based lens to our work from governance, strategy, planning, delivery, and evaluation.  
6. Embracing evidence-based decision making across the organization. 
   • We will leverage data, client input, and feedback in decision making processes, and leverage insights to continuously improve our programs, services, and operations. 

Click here to learn about Daily Bread Food Bank’s mission, vision, values, and operating principles.

As part of a Rights-based Approach to food, Daily Bread Food Bank offers clients a shopping model. This is a grocery store style of food distribution, based on family size, that allows clients to choose their food within categories and/or limits. Some may offer a choice between two items (ie. rice or pasta), while others may offer a choice between three out of five items (ie. a choice of grains, client may choose three). Lastly, others provide a points or other system that allows for more customization.

In addition, as part of a response to high volume of clients, some programs also offer the option of a pre-packaged food box on certain days of the week, so those who may have time or other constraints, or those who are waiting for an appointment, may access some essential food staples.

At Daily Bread Food Bank, we are committed to facilitating food access to those facing hunger and food insecurity. As the number of client visits continues to grow, the support from our community has made it possible to meet the need and ensure that anyone in need of food has a place to turn.

That being said, as a charity meeting an emergency need in the city, we have also had to face a number of unique challenges:

Decrease in food donations: The impact of rising food costs and inflation has been felt by everyone – not just those facing food insecurity. In 2022-2023, Daily Bread saw a decrease in food donations of 1 million lbs., which impacted our overall food purchasing budget. Our food purchasing budget has already seen a substantial increase from pre-pandemic numbers from $1.5 million to $22 million.

Toronto traffic and delivery times: Congestion and heavy traffic in Toronto has impacted agency delivery windows, and the number of deliveries we are able to complete in one day. To mitigate some of these issues, we increased the size of our fleet and assessed and adjusted agency delivery windows where necessary. Additionally, driver shifts were adjusted to an earlier start time.

Canada Disability Benefit: Daily Bread, along with a coalition of 40+ organizations across the country, advocated for a fully funded Canada Disability Benefit. Because of these efforts, in April 2024, the government took an important first step in the right direction by launching the Canada Disability Benefit in the 2024 Budget. A total of $6.1 billion were allocated to the program over a period of six years, to be available to an estimated 600,000 Canadians starting July 2025. However, according to new numbers released by the federal government in June, it is now expected that only about 25,000 working-age persons with disabilities will be lifted out of poverty by 2028.  People with disabilities face a poverty rate twice as high as the rest of Canada and are severely impacted by the growing cost-of-living crisis. One in seven people who access food banks nationally rely on provincial disability income supports. In many provinces, this means living more than $800 below the poverty line each month. Daily Bread Food Bank remains committed to advocating for a Canada Disability Benefit that brings recipients above the poverty line, is free from claw backs, and operates from a broad and inclusive definition of disability.

Daily Bread is a member-based organization providing food to 207 food programs at 132 agencies across Toronto, including: food bank programs; meal, snack, tenant, breakfast and pre-natal programs. Click here  to learn more.

In 2023 Daily Bread welcomed three new members to the network:

• TAIBU – Empringham Food Bank: Serves the Empringham community – a large complex of over 150 Toronto Community Housing townhomes with a high need for accessible, community-driven food access. Focuses on creating sustainable, transparent, and equitable food distribution, the program empowers the community by facilitating cross-generational connection and fostering a greater sense of involvement.
• Toronto Perth SDA: Offers on-site hamper distribution and food delivery from their North Etobicoke location. The team serves approximately 3,000 visits each month and also offers a choice model, so clients can shop for their needs. Additionally, they offer customized deliveries to community members each week.
• St. Stephens in the Fields: Offers a safe space and low-barrier access to services for vulnerable community members. Daily Bread provides ready-to-eat meals for their on-site meal program.

Daily Bread provides a variety of training programs to our network of member agencies, including safe food handling, information and referral services, crisis prevention and anti-oppression practices.

In addition, Daily Bread provides information and referrals to connect clients to services such as dental and vision care, mental health, housing supports, newcomer settlement services, employment supports.

Operating from our distribution center at 191 New Toronto Street, the Community Meal Program provides nourishing, warm meals to families and individuals experiencing hunger, and those who may not benefit from traditional food bank service due to lack of access to a kitchen, cooking tools, or other barriers to food preparation. Alongside a nourishing dinner—and as part of a rights-based approach to service—this program also provides information and referrals services for guests who experience hardships beyond hunger and would benefit from additional resources relating to housing, employment and more.

The Daily Bread kitchen is always buzzing with dedicated volunteers and staff, preparing hearty, nutritious meals to meet the needs and preferences of our clients.

In 2022-2023, a total of 219,624 individual meals in the Daily Bread kitchen – this is a combination of nutritious soups and casseroles for meal programs across the city. This includes a total of 23,682 distributed in partnership with the Red Cross Mobile Food Bank and Isolation program, which delivers ready-to-eat meals to individuals not able to access traditional food bank/meal programs due to health, mobility and/or other challenges.

Currently, Red Cross delivers food bank style groceries to people who have been medically assessed and have been determined to not be able to access traditional food programs. However, food bank style food such as uncooked food, canned, and even fresh produce, often does not meet the particular needs of individuals with intersecting issues such living in a rooming house without adequate cooking facilities, difficulties associated with health conditions that make mobility an issue, or mental health issues that can make preparing a meal a challenge. Using our food production resources, our kitchen team prepares single-serve, frozen meals, which are then be delivered by Red Cross to their client base at no cost.

Conducting in-depth, timely research is critical to Daily Bread Food Bank’s mission. Our advocacy strategy focuses in three key areas:

1. Income supports: to ensure that every person in our city has enough income to live in dignity and afford their basic needs, including food.
2. Affordable housing: to ensure that everyone can afford a safe and decent place to live, without having to choose between rent and feeding themselves, or their families.
3. Decent work: to ensure that those who are able to work, can have secure employment that provides adequate wages and benefits.

Each year, Daily Bread develops key research projects to advocate for systemic change to end poverty. Here are a few highlights:

• Who’s Hungry 2023
• Click / Hear Quick Take Reports
  • International Student Hunger
  • The Depths of Debt of Food Bank Clients
  • Short Changed: Tax Filing and Benefits
• Canadians’ Views on the Canada Disability Benefit – Study in partnership with Angus Reid Institute and Disability Without Poverty

Advocacy in Action:  

In 2023, Daily Bread continued to step up advocacy efforts calling for an end to poverty and food insecurity. Here is a summary of what we accomplished:

Key advocacy campaign: Fundthebenefit.ca – Canada Disability Benefit

Daily Bread Food Bank partnered with a coalition of 40+ organizations across the country to advocate for a fully funded Canada Disability Benefit. Passed into law in June 2023, Bill C-22: The Canada Disability Benefit Act was a promising piece of legislation with the potential to greatly reduce poverty among adults, 18-65 years of age, living with disabilities.

People with disabilities face a poverty rate twice as high as the rest of Canada, and are severely impacted by the growing affordability and cost-of-living crisis. One in seven people who access food banks nationally rely on provincial disability income supports. In many provinces, this means living more than $800 below the poverty line each month.

The fundthebenefit.ca campaign ran from November 2023-May 2024, and reached over 1.43 million Canadians through an integrated approach of digital and traditional media, as well as email communications. A total of 140,000 letters were sent to MPs across the country, urging them to prioritize and fund this benefit in the 2024 Budget. The campaign was a collaboration among disability advocates and organizations, and food banks across the country, including March of Dimes Canada, Disability without Poverty, and many more. Our earned media efforts accumulated a national reach of over 300 million.

In April 2024, the government took an important first step in the right direction by launching the Canada Disability Benefit in the 2024 Budget. A total of $6.1 billion were allocated to the program over a period of six years, to be available to an estimated 600,000 Canadians starting July 2025. Eligibility for this program has been set to Canadians with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate. Additionally, the program will be capped at $2,400 per year for each recipient, which equates to $200 per month. This commitment signaled that the government heard the countless calls for urgent action from Daily Bread, our partners and thousands of Canadians – however, there still remains a clear need for the benefit to be fully funded.

We know that additional funding and increased eligibility are imperative to ensure that those who need this support can effectively access it. Daily Bread Food Bank remains committed to advocating for a Canada Disability Benefit that brings recipients above the poverty line, is free from claw backs, and operates from a broad and inclusive definition of disability.

Other advocacy highlights:

• Food inflation at the House of Commons: On March 2023, Neil Hetherington, CEO, Daily Bread Food Bank, testified to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food on food inflation and its impact on food insecurity. During his testimony, Neil highlighted the gaps in our social safety net, particularly for single individuals who have very few income supports available to them beyond social assistance, where rates fall below the deep poverty line in every province.
• Emergency call to action in the face of food insecurity crisis: On April 4, 2023, Daily Bread held a press conference to share the deeply disturbing number of client visits in the month of March 2023 – close to 270,000 in a single month. Standing side-by-side with members, we called for government to address the food insecurity crisis.
• Toronto’s first Mayoral Debate: On May 15, 2023, Daily Bread hosted the first televised debate of the Toronto mayoral by-election campaign. In attendance were Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Olivia Chow, Mitzie Hunter, and Josh Matlow.
• Federal Grocery Rebate: On May 17, 2023, Daily Bread CEO Neil Hetherington testified to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance about the recently announced Federal Grocery Rebate – a GST/HST credit top-up meant to provide moderate-to-low-income households up to $234 for single Canadians, and up to $467 for families of four. Neil spoke about the realities faced by food bank clients living in poverty and clearly addressed that although this type of top-up is helpful, long-term sustained investments in income supports, affordable housing, and decent work are needed to eliminate poverty and food insecurity.

Grassroots Capacity Building Program:

In 2023, Daily Bread Food Bank invested in the health, capacity, and sustainability of four key grassroots member agencies that are delivering vital food security programs through the Grassroots Capacity Building Program.  

Allan Gardens Food Bank, Emmanuel Life Management Centre, Canadian South Asian Growth and Support Services (CSAGSS) and SOSO World Ministries took part in a pilot project aimed at strengthening and growing their capacities. These agencies received on-site mentorship, customized networking opportunities and fundraising coaching, finishing the program with tools and resources like three-year strategic plans and more robust government structures.

The results clearly demonstrated that investing in the capacity of grassroots organizations results in a more resilient and sustainable food bank network overall. In the upcoming year, Daily Bread will conduct similar activities with current members to strengthen smaller organizations playing impactful roles within the network.

Neighbourhood Action Networks:

After successful pilots in Scarborough and Etobicoke in 2022, Neighbourhood Action Networks are now expanded across the entire Daily Bread membership. Animated by Daily Bread staff, these virtual communities facilitate resource and knowledge exchange, foster peer-to-peer learning, strengthen partnerships, and provide opportunities for agency discussion on a hyper-local level.

These networks will allow members to self-organize, talk about the trends they’re seeing, and connect with policymakers to guide change.  

Client Preferences Survey:

Daily Bread Food Bank follows a Rights-Based approach to food distribution and service. We believe client voices must inform organizational decisions. One of our key 2024 Strategic Goals is to ensure that all clients will have access to three days worth of food per weekly visit, based on redesigned offerings, guided by client preferences.

This past year, a client preferences survey was developed to gather information from member agencies about their community’s food needs. Over one thousand clients at thirty-one food banks were asked to complete this in-person survey to gather quantitative and qualitative data that will help inform decisions about the foods Daily Bread should be procuring.

Over the next two years, we will be undertaking a transformation in our food procurement and distribution practices to better align with client preferences where possible.

Canada’s Food Guide Servings Project:

The Canada’s Food Guide Servings Project supports Daily Bread Food Bank’s commitment to providing nourishing food that aligns with public health recommendations and provides context for which foods and beverages to procure, prioritize, and distribute.

This project addresses three specific goals:

1. The latest Canada’s Food Guide, released in 2019, does not provide guidance around daily servings in a balanced plate. This makes it challenging for Daily Bread to procure food in proportions that meet the guide’s recommendations. Through this project, we will create a general model that approximates the intent of the 2019 Canada’s Food Guide in the metric of servings per day.
2. Review Daily Bread’s “primary/core” food categories (grains, dairy, protein, vegetables, and fruit) to ensure current product offerings are providing the best nutritional quality, and make recommendations on healthy product offerings and alternatives. Additionally, review Daily Bread’s secondary categories to rate nutritional value and to identify products that are recommended to not be distributed.
3. Make recommendations about preferred food mix and format within food categories.

The recommendations will apply to purchased foods, planned procurement, as well as donated foods.

Nutrition choices have a significant impact on health. Those facing food insecurity and low socio-economic status may have a disproportionate burden and increased risk of chronic health issues. A move towards nutritionally focused service will help to improve access to healthier food choices, address inequities in eating, and help to prevent nutrition-related health challenges.

Cold Chain Temperature Study:

As part of our commitment to providing quality, respectful, and dignified service at all food programs, a study was completed to assess all the steps in Daily Bread Food Bank’s cold chain. The goal of this study was to ensure the highest quality control when it comes to temperature storage requirements for various food products.

This study provided insights in the following areas:

• Risk mitigation: Regulatory compliance, consumer safety, and waste reduction.
• Freshness assessment: Monitoring and sustaining product integrity.
• General operating procedures: Monitoring temperature and humidity data.

Regular review and continuous improvement on current processes ensures food safety and high-quality products for clients visiting Daily Bread food programs.

In 2023 Daily Bread Food Bank was named one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures by Waterstone Human Capital.

The national list includes ten organizations in the broader public sector, as chosen by Waterstone’s board of governors.

All organizations are evaluated through six categories: vision and leadership, recruitment and hiring for fit, cultural alignment and measurement, retention, rewards and recognition, organizational performance and corporate social responsibility.

July, 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023

*Revenue and Expenses illustrated before Other Items which includes investment income of $211,493 and an unrealized fair value gain on investments of $1,817,459.

To review full audited statements, please click here.

The wages and benefits paid to each of Daily Bread Food Bank’s full-time staff meet the requirements of the Ontario Living Wage Network. For more information, visit www.ontariolivingwage.ca.