Church of Jesus Christ Donates $2 Million Canadian to Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has donated $2 million Canadian (about $1.45 million U.S.) to the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto in response to a growing food crisis in the city.

With one in ten Toronto residents using food banks, the donation represents important support for thousands of people facing food insecurity. The announcement was made on July 29, 2024, by Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread, during an event attended by government officials, volunteers, food bank staff, media and church leaders.

“Two million dollars means about two million meals for the community,” Hetherington said. “This will allow us to buy two new trucks to ensure that all Toronto residents have access to decent and good food.”

Elder David LaFrance, Area Seventy for North East America and Toronto Council Coordinator, expressed the Church’s gratitude for the opportunity to serve the community. “We understand the importance of following Christ’s example to help those in need in our community,” LaFrance said. “This donation to the Daily Bread Food Bank is part of our greatest efforts to give and help in the areas where we live.” The gift is a practical act of sharing food with the hungry (Isaiah 58:7).

Daily Bread’s demand for services has increased dramatically since the pandemic, with up to 350,000 customer visits per month, compared with approximately 65,000 before the pandemic. The food bank’s annual spending on food has grown from $1.5 million to more than $22 million.

“It will be a change for the better, a change of life,” Hetherington said. “On behalf of all those present here and of all those who unfortunately need the services of the Daily Bread Food Bank, we thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Representatives of the Church also took part in food bank activities, including sorting food and making deliveries. Daily Bread, founded in the early 1980s, is Canada’s largest food bank. In addition to serving users from its facilities in Etobicoke, Ontario, the bank distributes food to a network of more than 200 food agency programs in the Toronto metropolitan area.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Spanish)