Almost 31,000 households in Toronto are located in “food deserts.” In 2016 we addressed this by reaching 272,776 children and adults through food (8% increase from 2015) while training 8,697 folks (10% decrease from 2015). All this happened by animating 1261 (5% increase from 2015) community led food initiatives.

Scroll down to see what that looks like from field to table.

Before we eat, we grow. Last year our urban agriculture team animated 79 community led food initiatives across Toronto. That's beekeeping on rooftops, it’s revitalizing public space to include community gardens and it’s diverting waste via composting.

Last year we: trained 1609 people to grow food, harvested 7,640 lbs of food from school gardens, employed 22 young farmers and churned out over 18,000 lbs of compost. 82.4% of urban agriculture participants indicated that it takes them less time to access fresh vegetables and fruit and 56.7% said the program was extremely or very helpful in saving them money.

See how community gardens change lives

Food isn’t just about dinner. At the Sunshine Market Garden at CAMH, it’s about healing. That’s why we worked alongside clients to grow 500 lbs of organic produce last season. And the food grew hope for 20 lives changed by the therapeutic returns of gardening.

See how we’re growing food to grow hope

In too many neighbourhoods, food is far from home or isn’t affordable. That’s why we delivered 2,213,227 lbs of veggies and fruit last year. We did it by supporting markets where people get the food they want. We packed and delivered Good Food Boxes with precut produce to seniors and students. And we ran Grab Some Good markets in three TTC stations.

Last year we: delivered food to 265 schools and agencies, dropped off 31,519 Good Food Boxes, supported 42 Good Food Markets and ran 10 Mobile Good Food Market Stops. Over two thirds of Good Food Program participants report 'eating more' fresh vegetables and fruit since becoming involved with the program. 74% indicated improved relationships with other community members.

See what delivering 2,000 Good Food Boxes over the holidays looks like

For too long, subway transfers only offered snacks and the news. That’s why we set up Grab Some Good markets at 3 TTC stations. By partnering with Toronto Public Health, we’re changing your commute and changing the story. Each market features fresh, low-cost produce that you can grab while waiting for the bus, making healthy food a convenience.

Grab Some Good next time you take transit

Our kitchen cooked up healthy school lunches. It’s where women going through breast cancer treatment cook together. And it’s where youth get healthy food education. That’s why we served 78,984 meals last year. By cooking recipes showcasing veggies and fruit, we’re showing how delicious healthy eating can be.

Last year we: cooked at 4 Good Food Café sites, served 37,320 healthy school lunches to students, delivered 22,500 cups of Power Soup, sent 12,000 meals to seniors through our partnership with Sprint Senior Care and hosted community kitchens where people learned and connected.

Our kitchen doesn’t just deliver core projects. It’s also a social enterprise project that delivered 6530 catering orders and 635 gift baskets over the holiday season. That’s revenue generated to sustain our food access efforts.

Send a gift that gives back

Getting kids excited about food has lifelong returns. That’s why we animated student nutrition programs reaching 194,629 kids each school day. That’s why we worked on schoolyard farming, food literacy, the Good Food Machine and added our voice to the chorus advocating for a national school food program.

Last year we: supported 812 Student Nutrition Program sites, trained 5,245 kids and adults via Field to Table Schools and took the Great Big Crunch with 153,011 kids from coast to coast to coast.

See some of the best high school chefs create

What if kids could grow, cook and eat without ever leaving class? With the Good Food Machine they can. Partnering with LoyaltyOne, we worked with 577 students in the Good Food Machine’s first year. With a mix of tower gardens and fun curriculum tied connections, we saw kids fall in love with salad greens and parents cook family recipes in class.

See the Good Food Machine grow

Food justice is at the core of our work and mandate. We provide opportunities for communities, grassroots organizations and leaders to access tools and build capacity to empower themselves self-determining their local food access solutions. We reached 404 people via food justice community workshops.

Last year we: supported 5 groups via the Cross-Cultural Food Access Innovation Hub (CFAI-Hub), worked with 8 community leaders and offered intensive food justice training.

See how the Three Sisters’ House is creating Indigenous food curriculum through the CFAI-Hub

Thank you to everyone supporting Good Healthy Food for All! We couldn’t do it without you.

Note: In 2016, FoodShare worked with Eco-Ethonomics to develop a third-party verified impact calculator. Most numbers in this annual report were generated through that calculator. Outcome data analysis was led by the consulting firm of Harry Cummings and Associates. The study was funded by the Province of Ontario through the Local Poverty Reduction Fund.