For more than 20 years, the Churches by the Bluffs, known as the Bluffs Food Bank (BFB), has operated as an agency of Daily Bread Food Bank that is run completely by volunteers. Over this time we’ve evolved and expanded but we have never lost sight of our mission: to fight and end hunger in our community.
2002-2003
- Five local churches, called the Churches by the Bluffs Community Services, come together to feed families in our community.
- Church partners began consultation with the Daily Bread Food Bank.
2003
- Opened: Thursday, September 11.
- Served 24 families, feeding 42 people.
2004
Expanded services to include:
- free income tax.
- lunches with tea and coffee.
- a used clothing boutique during food bank hours.
2005
- Developed a strong Advocacy and Referral Program.
- Grew to 80 volunteers.
- Client base increased to 210 families (800 people) per week.
- Served 2100 people per month.
2006
- Worked with the Toronto Star to provide Christmas Gift Star Boxes to families with children under the age of 13.
- The number of people increased to 2,300 per month (40% children).
2007
- Upgraded our facility with a Trillium grant.
- Temporarily moved to Warden and Danforth for 9 long months with limited resources.
2008
- The shower installed in the renovation, is used by people without housing.
- Revenue Canada staff helped participants with Birth Certificates, Pensions and Employment Insurance applications.
2009
- Started using Bluffs Food Bank (BFB).
2010
- The BFB family takes on a life of its own through the support of the community, the churches, volunteers and participants.
2011
- Services expanded to support 225 families per week.
2012
- Birthday Cakes are offered to clients on their special day.
2013
- Families with children register for Star Boxes at BFB for the 7th year in a row.
2014
- New mattresses are donated to families through a program referral process.
2015
- Birchmount Bluffs Neighbourhood Centre chose BFB as the Community Organization Recipient of their 2015 Community Engagement Award.
- Developed a long-term relationship with Griffiths Laboratories that provides us with pancake mix and soup.
2016 (Lucky Year # 13)
- Generous community donations allowed us to buy eggs and milk at wholesale prices for our clients.
2017
- Launched this website to provide the community Bluffs Food Bank information and have a central location to accept financial donations.
2018
- BFB becomes a community hub with 41 Division Police Department and Alzheimer’s Society volunteers helping with client care.
2019
- Significant increase in community support.
- More schools, families and neighbourhoods organized BFB food drives than ever before.
2020
- Operational changes due to COVID-19
- We continued to feed our families by packing hampers that were delivered to clients by a local start-up food bank.
2021
- Bluffs Food Bank returned to more regular operation at 33 East Road ensuring our families were fed.
2022
- Food insecurity across Toronto increased significantly.
- Due to more people in need and the high cost of food, the Daily Bread had to decrease their donations to affiliated food banks like the BFB.
- BFB clients (families and individuals) increased by more than 40%.
- Communities, families and businesses pitched in with financial and food donations to help support the increase in clients.
2023
- In September we commemorate 20 years of fighting hunger, and giving hope, in our community with a donation campaign to raise $120,000 by September 2024.
We hope we’re not needed for 20 more years but if there is a need our volunteers will continue to fight hunger in our community.