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Making Change Possible by Fighting Food Insecurity

Founded in 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Save-the-Bread has been making an impact in trying to fight hunger, support mental health, and save the planet.

Post-COVID inflation continues to hit us hard every day, making living hand-to-mouth, especially for low-income/unemployed/homeless individuals.

Thanks to the local bakeries and restaurants that are helping us carry out our mission in the Toronto-Scarborough community.

What We Do & Why We Do

As social entrepreneurs, we are using sustainable ways to stop food insecurity by collecting freshly baked/cooked food from bakeries/restaurants to feed needy people. We are a 100% volunteer-run group that visits local bakeries to pick up food and distribute it to food banks and shelters. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Food insecurity and food waste pose a huge issue because restaurants, groceries, and/or bakeries throw away cooked meals and/or baked goods as they are no longer needed. These foods simply end up in landfills. To keep up with the demand for freshness, throwing away food shouldn't be a choice of retailers. There are still a lot of people who spend nights on the streets on empty stomachs. We educate communities not only across the Greater Toronto Area but also outside of Toronto because we believe this issue needs to be addressed at a larger scale.

We are working on several socially focused goals that are all tied up into one foremost issue - food insecurity. These are defined as:

Stop food waste;

Stop hunger & Support mental health;

Stop wasting all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package food;

Save the planet from producing methane—a greenhouse gas

How do landfills and waste of food affect our environment?

The presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere affects our planet's temperature and climate by forming ground-level ozone, a hazardous air pollutant, exposure to which causes 1 million premature deaths every year (Environmental Protection Agency, 2022).

The largest sources of methane emissions from human activities include, but are not limited to, livestock digestion processes, and landfills. Food waste goes to the landfill where it rots and produces greenhouse gases. Canada is strongly committed to reducing methane emissions by decreasing ozone formation which could prevent over 200,000 premature deaths each year, hundreds of thousands of asthma-related emergency room visits, and over 20 million tons of

crop losses a year by 2030 (Government of Canada, 2022). Currently, more than 50 percent of all food produced in Canada goes to waste, higher than the global average of one-third.

References

Government of Canada. (2022, March 25). Government of Canada launches next steps towards deeper methane reductions from oil and Gas. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2022/03/government-of-canada-launches-next-steps-towards-deeper-methane-reductions-from-oil-and-gas.html

Environmental Protection Agency. (2022, June 9). Importance of Methane. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/gmi/importance-methane#:~:text=Methane%20(CH4)%20is%20a,%2Dinfluenced)%20and%20natural%20sources.

Fundraiser: Fighting Food Insecurity & Poverty

Funds collected through the Krispy Kreme donut fundraiser, customized shirts, pens, cups, or other items are used to purchase:

* Paper-based packing boxes, spoons/forks, bags, wraps for bread, etc.

* Warm jackets, clothes, shoes, hand sanitizers/wipes, etc. for homeless people on the streets/shelters houses in Toronto and Scarborough Area

* Gift cards for groceries ($15-20 per individual)

* Raise funds to arrange cold storage and freezers to store surplus food

Please join us for this cause to fight food insecurity, feed the needy, fight hunger, promote good mental health, and give people better hopes for tomorrow.

Giving back to the Community

We are dedicated to distributing food to children's charities, after-school programs, food banks or hunger relief charities. In a time of particular economic hardship for many, it is imperative to work together as a community and feel the pain of those who are more vulnerable than ever, are homeless, or have no access to kitchens. We focus on all communities including marginalized communities including BIPOC (black, Indigenous, and other people of colour) and LGBTQ+ who are stigmatized based on their identity and who face incredible hardships due to joblessness, homelessness, food insecurity, and poverty.

Food Insecurity, Poverty, and its Link to Mental Health Illness

Among many social issues in Toronto, food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty are wicked problems that lead to mental health issues and affect peoples' abilities to function in society. According to Toronto Public Health, food insecurity is inadequate or insecure access to food due to lack of money which affects almost 1 in 5 Toronto households (18.5 %) and is a serious public health issue because it is closely related to negative mental and physical health outcomes.

The discrimination and stigma associated with poverty and homelessness are making vulnerable people even more susceptible to suffering from long-term mental health issues and suicidal tendencies. Our objective is to fight hunger, help reduce food waste, and fight food insecurities and poverty while giving people hope for tomorrow.

Fundraise

We appreciate your support in this fundraiser. We are transforming lives and building brighter futures for people and the environment. However, none is possible without your help.

To contribute to this fundraiser, please send payment via Bank E-Transfer to:

SaveTheBreadSE@gmail.com