Aug 6, 2020
Hear in this episode how COVID-19 has put hurdles in the path of front-line operations like Daily Bread Food Bank, and how they’ve knocked them down, one by one, becoming a stronger organization as a result.
Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank, shares with us their unyielding focus on continuing to meet their food delivery commitments despite the operational challenges and spike in demand due to the pandemic.
We also hear about the improvements this means go forward for Daily Bread as they look to leverage what they’ve achieved during the pandemic. They’ve discovered operational improvements and partnerships, enabling them to serve many more people and with more food, to an extent not previously thought possible. It’s also clarified for them the need to pursue systemic change through their advocacy work, embracing a moment when so many Torontonians have now been touched by food insecurity and are supportive of change.
Unfortunately, Daily Bread’s own research indicates a bigger risk ahead for those living in poverty and with food insecurity – an eviction tsunami as people are unable to pay their rent is on the horizon. This too will require advocacy and Daily Bread see themselves with an important role.
This is clearly a case of a leader and an organization rising to the challenge, with lessons for all of us.
Resources
Daily Bread Food Bank: https://www.dailybread.ca
Neil Hetherington: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilhetherington
Who’s Hungry 2019? Daily Bread Food Bank’s Nov 2019 Report, including Race Data: https://www.dailybread.ca/research-and-advocacy/whos-hungry-report/
Hunger Lives Here: Risks and Challenges Faced by Food Bank Clients During COVID-19 – July 2020: https://www.dailybread.ca/research-and-advocacy/hungerliveshere/
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