It’s a Tuesday morning and at Nellie’s Shelter that means the Second Harvest truck will soon be by to make its weekly delivery for our Supper Surprise program. Every week, the food rescue charity brings a variety of fresh, frozen and packaged foods, so that our staff and volunteers can divide it and hand it out to the about 65 families enrolled in our food program.

This week, Second Harvest delivered pasta, rice and an assortment of fresh vegetables to our administrative office on Queen Street East. Other weeks, it may be processed meats, fresh fruit and yogurt. Other weeks still, it may be peanut butter, milk, prepared salads and crackers. Anything goes when it comes to what’s in the Second Harvest delivery — hence why our meal program is called Supper Surprise!

“The women enrolled in the program are seniors, single moms and individuals experiencing food insecurity. Because of Second Harvest, we are able to provide them with fresh, pre-cooked and non-perishable food donations so that they can maintain stable housing and cover their basic needs and emergency expenses without going hungry,” says Anna Morgan, Nellie’s Program Manager.

According to Toronto Public Health, food insecurity affects one in every eight households in Toronto. This can be for a variety of reasons. For some it may be because they work in low-wage jobs; for others it may be because they are unable to work due to injury or illness; some still may face accessibility and mobility challenges; and others still may have dietary restrictions (either for health or cultural reasons) that are challenging to meet.

At Nellie’s Supper Surprise, every woman also receives TTC fares to get to and from the program to ensure that travel isn’t a barrier to getting fresh food.

Second Harvest is Canada’s largest food rescue charity with a dual mission of environmental protection and hunger relief. The organization recovers nutritious, unsold food before it becomes waste and distributes it to its broad network of over 370 social service organizations, including Nellie’s.

Partnerships with agencies such as Second Harvest are essential for us at Nellie’s, as they allow us to expand our programs and services to meet the needs of the women and children living at Nellie’s, as well as those using the programs and services at our community support and outreach site.

Back at our Queen Street East offices, it’s been less than three hours since the Second Harvest truck left and already women are eagerly arriving to find out what’s in this week’s Supper Surprise.