The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has donated $1.45 million (CAD $2 million) to Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank. The donation was announced by food bank CEO Neil Hetherington at an event on July 29, 2024, as reported by ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The food bank is Canada’s largest food bank and provides quality and culturally appropriate food to those in need.
This donation will help them feed the approximate 10% of Toronto residents who rely on food banks, a number that has skyrocketed since prepandemic times. To keep up with the 350,000 client visits per month, the food bank’s annual food spending has gone from $1.08 million (CAD $1.5 million) a year to over $15.9 million (CAD $22 million).
Hetherington said, “Two million dollars — that means some 2 million meals out to the community. That means we can purchase two new trucks that will allow us to make sure that every Torontonian can have access to decent, wonderful food.”
Also in attendance at the event were federal, provincial and municipal politicians, food bank volunteers and staff, national media and local Church leaders.
Elder David LaFrance, an Area Seventy in the Church’s North America Northeast Area who presides over the Toronto Coordinating Council, spoke for the Church by saying: “We understand the importance of following Christ’s example to help others in need in our community. This donation to the Daily Bread Food Bank is part of our greater efforts to give and help in the areas in which we live. Our motivation is out of service to others and to help those in need, and really follow our Christian convictions to do so. We really are grateful for the wonderful work that’s done here at Daily Bread.”
“It’s going to be a game changer; it’s going to be a life changer,” said Member of Parliament James Maloney. “On behalf of everybody here and everybody who unfortunately needs the services of the Daily Bread Food Bank, thank you, thank you, thank you.”
