The Bluffs Food Bank was started because 5 neighbourhood churches cared about their community. Disturbed by the number of hungry people knocking at their doors and asking for help, they decided to work together to do something to address food insecurity in our community.
None of the churches, on its own, could operate a food bank, but after Birchcliff Bluffs United Church offered to house the food bank in its building, the other churches, Fallingbrook Heights Baptist (Church at the Centre), Fallingbrook Presbyterian, Scarborough Baptist and St. Nicholas Birch Cliff Anglican, all agreed to provide financial and volunteer support.
After many discussions and consultations with Daily Bread and the leaders of food banks working in other parts of Toronto, a not-for-profit corporation, Churches By The Bluffs Community Services, was incorporated on June 18, 2003. The corporation was registered as a charity and opened its doors on September 11, 2003, serving 24 families on its very first day. By the time of its first annual meeting in June, 2004, it was serving about 1,200 people per month.
The food bank now draws most of its volunteers from the local community but continues to receive strong support from the 5 founding churches.
Our official name is: Churches by the Bluffs Community Services and our charitable registration number is 876622903RR0001.
Bluffs Food Bank is a registered name of our organization and may be used on cheques for donations. It is the name by which we are commonly known in the community.