Flemingdon Community Food bank facing $30,000 rent arrears

A Toronto food bank is tens of thousands of dollars in debt and has launched an urgent appeal for help to save it from closing its doors.

The Flemingdon Community Food Bank, which is open daily and serves the high-needs area of Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park, owes its landlord $30,000 in rent — and is unsure of how it will cover costs as it faces an influx of new clients.

“From 1,000 families three years ago, the clients doubled last year, and over the past nine months, we have seen the largest increase,” said Abdul Hai Patel, acting chair and treasurer of the board of directors of the food bank. “We have 3,800 families registered right now,” he said.

Food banks across the city are seeing a spike in their numbers at a time when the cost of food is increasing, and charities have been slapped with a fee for waste collection as of July 1.

The appeal coincides with a visit to Toronto by UN Special Rapporteur Olivier De Schutter to discuss issues involving the right to food.

Clariss Tatro, a volunteer at the Glen Rhodes United Church food bank near Little India, says food banks across the city are stretched to their limit. She adds that food banks were originally meant to be an emergency measure, but they have become community mainstays.

The Flemingdon food bank has seen the rent for its storefront operation in a neighbourhood building increase from $22,600 a year to $31,200. This is on top of the fixed costs of $3,100 a month for food delivery from the Daily Bread Food Bank, rent, pest control and supplies.

So far, the landlord has been extremely patient and gracious, Patel said.

“That’s why we are not on the streets yet,” he said.

Original Article
Source: Star
Author: Noor Javed