Rescuing surplus food for 6.5 million+ Canadians

A Busy Summer for Second Harvest: Nourishing Kids Across the GTA

This summer was a busy one for Second Harvest. In addition to rescuing and redistributing food across Canada, we turned our focus to ensuring that kids in need received nutritious lunches, helping them enjoy a happy, healthy summer.

Feeding Our Future, launched in 2000 to address the issue of "Summer Hunger," and has since grown into Canada’s largest free summer lunch program. School food programs are an essential part of childhood nutrition, and to make sure children don’t go without during the summer months, Feeding Our Future was created.

Since its inception, the program has delivered over 658,000 lunches to thousands of children attending free or subsidized summer camps across the city of Toronto.

 Feeding Our Future in 2024

This summer, the Feeding Our Future program delivered 36,263 healthy lunches, providing critical nourishment to 1,450 children and youth in summer camps across Toronto. To get a closer look at the program’s impact, let’s follow Fasika Adane, a driver ambassador at Second Harvest, as he makes his daily deliveries on the downtown route.

Fasika usually begins his day at 7 a.m., loading his van with trays of fresh sandwiches and snacks. At each stop, he’s warmly greeted by camp staff, often accompanied by children who know him by name and eagerly await his arrival.

One of the highlights of his route is at the Christie Refugee Welcome Centre. Here, two children wait for Fasika at the same spot every day, running up to greet him with excitement and gratitude. They cheer him on, offer to help with small items, and make his job all the more fulfilling.

More Than Just a Meal

For many of the children, the lunch provided by Feeding Our Future is the most nutritious meal they have all day. Partner organizations, such as Taking Kids Out of Poverty (TKOP) and the 519, emphasize the importance of these meals in bringing stability, comfort, and nourishment to their young participants.

TKOP provides education, mentorship, and soccer programming for children living in Toronto’s downtown east end, free of charge. Founder Mikael Khalam shares, “Food insecurity is significant in various communities in Toronto. What the kids can count on when they come to our program is a drink, a fruit, a snack, and a safe space to eat with friends.”

TKOP also expanded its reach this year thanks to the introduction of a Halal sandwich option, a new addition to Feeding Our Future’s menu.

Sharn Peters, manager of Child and Family Programs at the 519, highlights how the sandwiches and snacks allow families to bond over trying new foods together during their camp experiences. “Our families get a sense of community and connection,” she explains. “Sitting together and eating, what we call ‘breaking bread’ in my culture, is so important.”

This shared experience also sparks conversations about nutrition and inspires families' lunch menus during the school year.

For camps like Art City, the meals provided through Feeding Our Future allow the small team to focus on their core mission of helping kids gain confidence through art. Before partnering with Second Harvest, they could only offer a light snack. Now, complete meals — including sandwiches, snacks, and juice — keep their campers nourished and energized throughout the day.

 Gratitude and Impact

By the end of his daily route, Fasika returns to Second Harvest’s headquarters with a van full of empty crates and a heart full of joy. “I don’t think there’s anybody who gets thanked as much as me,” he shares. “It’s a blessing.”

A heartfelt thank-you to our donors, summer assistants, and 269 volunteers who spent over 1,100 hours making sandwiches this summer. Your support and generosity are the foundation of this program’s success.

Links:

• Feeding Our Future