GENERAL
Toronto Miracle is a grassroots food drive initiative, run completely on volunteer power. On December 5th at 10am, residents of Toronto are invited to leave a non-perishable food item on their doorstep (clearly marked for Toronto Miracle). Volunteers will collect these donations and redistribute to those in need in the community.
The Toronto Miracle will take place on December 5, 2020. Between 10:00am and 4:00pm, volunteers will be collecting non-perishable food items left on doorsteps.
Our goal is to collect 250,000 non-perishable food items in one day.
Donations collected will either go to local neighbourhood organizations OR to our partner organizations (Daily Bread Food Bank, Second Harvest & North York Harvest) which combined, provide food to over 350 community agencies across the GTA.
There are three ways to help us fight hunger in Toronto:
If you are located outside of Toronto, we still encourage and welcome you to volunteer for the Toronto Miracle! You can do so by adding your postal code and we will place you in a neighbourhood on December 5th that needs your help (or by adding a postal code of a neighbourhood in Toronto that you wish to volunteer in). Alternatively, you may contribute by making a financial donation to one of our partner organizations.
As a grassroots initiative Toronto Miracle is unable to directly accept financial donations, but we encourage you to donate to one of our partner organizations who work to address food insecurity in our city. They will be tracking the amount of donations made to the Toronto Miracle so that we are aware of the impact we all have made in our community.
Toronto Miracle is a grassroots initiative started by community members who are concerned about the impact COVID-19 is having on the community. Taking learnings from similar successful events held in Chatham-Kent, Windsor-Essex, Northwest Territories and Montreal, we have launched the Toronto Miracle in an effort to bring together the community to fight food insecurity.
DONATING FOOD
Donating is easy. Simply register your donation and then place a non-perishable food item on your doorstep on December 5th by 10:00 am.
You can ABSOLUTELY donate as many items as you wish. We want to make sure that every can participate regardless of circumstance whether that be one item or an entire box. We are happy to take any amount of food you are comfortable donating.
Please put your item on your doorstep by 10:00am on December 5. Don’t forget to register to let us know you’re going to participate.
We are asking you to donate at least one item. Through this initiative, we want to give everyone in Toronto the equal opportunity to feel like they can participate in making a difference in our community. If you are able to donate more items, please know that they will be welcomed.
It is strongly encouraged to register to donate, but not required. By letting us know you are going to participate in donating, we are better able to plan pickup routes and allocate volunteers accordingly.
We encourage you to share this initiative with your building's property manager and ask if you can share this opportunity on the community bulletin, have a box placed in the lobby for December 5th, then encourage neighbours to leave their non-perishable food items in the lobby by 10am. Please be sure to register your donation so we are aware of the pickup location.
Please click here to see a list of recommended items.
We recommend that anyone interested in donating pet food should reach out to Fred Victor Bethleham United Shelter (416-644-1734). This is a pet friendly shelter and pet food donations are most welcome.
According to Toronto Public Health there is no evidence that COVID-19 is spread by food or food packaging. Wiping down containers or packaging is not necessary.
We ask that you wash your hands before handling the item for donation and put the item in a visible spot on your doorstep. Please remain inside while volunteers collect the donations; donations should not be passed from person to person.
You don’t need to be home on December 5 to participate. Simply register to participate and leave your clearly marked item for Toronto Miracle on your doorstep in a visible spot prior to 10:00am. You can leave your item out earlier if that works with your schedule and our volunteers will collect it while you are out.
We are working from 10am to 4pm to pick up the donations in your neighbourhood. Please be patient and leave the item out in a visible spot. Our volunteer teams are working hard to collect everything. If it still hasn’t been picked up by 4:00pm, we kindly ask that you deliver it directly to a drop off location closest to you during its opening hours. CLICK HERE to view a map of locations in your area.
IF YOUR DONATION HAS BEEN MISSED, CLICK HERE to view a map of drop off locations in your area.
Toronto Miracle is a great event for schools to participate in. Put a box in every classroom or challenge the whole school to fill the gym – there are lots of possibilities.
Daily Bread
Address: 191 New Toronto St., Etobicoke
Phone: not needed. Bins outside
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am – 4:00pm
Instructions: Donors can drop items off in bins located outside at each entrance for a contactless experience.
Second Harvest
Address: 1450 Lodestar Road, North York
Phone: 416-408-2594
Hours: Monday – Friday between 9am and 3pm
Instructions: Call in advance of drop off.
North York Harvest
Address: 116 Industry St., York
Phone: 416-635-7771
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am – 3:30pm
Instructions: Call in advance of drop off.
VOLUNTEERING
Yes, you can. Just make sure that your parent/guardian reviews the waiver on the Volunteer sign up form on the Toronto Miracle website and agrees to the waiver on your behalf.
This is a great opportunity to do something as a family and involve your kids in the community! We encourage you to be mindful that some of the roles involve walking, being outside and carrying goods, but if your child is able to participate, then we encourage you to include them.
We have lots of roles that don’t require the use of a car. Check out the volunteer list here to find the right one for you.
You can find a list of roles here.
ABSOLUTELY. And thank you for being a caring neighbour. When you sign up, enter your postal code (this will let us know you are outside the GTA) and we’ll find a place for you in a neighbourhood that requires volunteers.
Yes. Your Community Captain or our Toronto Miracle Volunteer lead will be able to sign your volunteer form.
